Parent-child perception differences in home-based parental involvement and children's mental health in China: The effects of peer support and teacher emotional support.

Abstract

Parents' perception of parental involvement or that of children has been found to be associated with the mental health of children. Rather than scrutinizing whether parents' perception or children's perception matters more, this study investigated whether and how parent-child perception differences (parents' perceptions minus their children's perceptions) in home-based parental involvement were related to anxiety, depression, and stress in children. We surveyed 2219 adolescents (approximately 12-14 years old) and their parents in nine middle schools in eastern China. Findings indicate that parent-child perception differences in parental daily involvement (e.g., Depression: β=.065, p < .01) and parent-child communication (e.g., Depression: β=.107, p < .001) were detrimental to the mental health of children, and that perceived peer support and perceived teacher emotional support might mitigate the adverse effects.