Parental Anxiety and Depression Moderate Intergenerational Transmission of Parental Psychological Aggression in China.

Abstract

The present study examined the intergenerational patterns in the transmission of parental psychological aggression in China and the moderating effects of parental anxiety and depression. Participants were 552 children (Mage = 12.81 years, 250 boys) and their parents who were recruited from two junior high schools in Jinan, the capital city of Shandong Province in China. The results showed that both maternal and paternal psychological aggressions were transmitted in Chinese societies, and maternal but not paternal anxiety and depression moderated the transmission of psychological aggression. The strength of transmission was stronger for mothers with high levels of anxiety and depression than those with low levels of anxiety and depression. The findings highlighted the roles of parental distal (psychological aggression experiences) and proximal (negative emotions) factors in their use of psychological aggression and suggested the need for intervention programs to focus on reduction of parental negative emotions.