Effect of parental competences on anxious-depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation in adolescents: Exploring the mediating role of mindfulness

Abstract

Anxious-depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation are common phenomena during adolescence. Ample research has evidenced that certain parental competences (i.e., parental warmth, autonomy support, and family communication) play a key role in the prevention of both internalizing problems. However, the mechanisms that explain the preventive effects of these parental competences are little understood. For those mechanisms to be explained, the present study aimed at investigating the mediating role of adolescent mindfulness on the association between parental competences, anxious-depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation. It was also explored whether these relations were (dis)similar across gender. A total of 1405 adolescents (53.1% girls) aged between 12 and 17 years (M = 14.79, SD = 1.54) participated in the research. Participants completed a self-report questionnaire during school hours. Structural equation models analysis showed that the association between parental competences and anxious-depressive symptoms was partially mediated by adolescent mindfulness. Meanwhile, the association between parental competences and suicidal ideation was mediated through a double indirect effect via mindfulness and anxious-depressive symptoms. Gender did not moderate previous associations. This study offers evidence of the contribution of mindfulness in explaining the processes that underlie the relationship between parental competences and certain internalizing problems in adolescents. Further, these findings emphasize the need for future interventions to foster both positive parenting and adolescents’ mindfulness to prevent anxious-depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation.