Abstract
Research studies showed that adolescent problem behaviors were negatively associated with their life satisfaction. However, the negative impact of problem behaviors on life satisfaction has not been sufficiently researched using longitudinal design and the potential mechanisms have not been well examined. The present study attempted to investigate how early adolescents’ externalizing and internalizing behaviors affect their life satisfaction (LS) as well as the mediating effects of parent-child subsystem qualities. Based on a sample of 2669 Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong who were followed up for three years, the present study found that both externalizing and internalizing behavior led to a decrease in LS among adolescents over time. While parental behavioral control and parent-child relational quality mediated the effects of externalizing behavior, parental factors did not mediate the effects of internalizing behavior. More specifically, parents tended to respond to children’s externalizing behavior by reducing parental involvement and warmth, which subsequently resulted in lower LS of adolescents. The findings imply that it is necessary to promote adolescent LS by reducing their problem behaviors. Moreover, parents should develop effective ways to enhance their understanding of children’s emotional and behavioral difficulties.
Highlights
During the past several decades, the scope of youth research has expanded from the focus on psychopathology and its contributors to emphasis of the bright side of adolescents such as strengths, assets, and potential
To test the mediating effects of parental factors, we focused on three important processes of parent–child subsystem quality, including behavioral control, psychological control, and quality of parent–child relationship
The present study attempted to examine the influence of adolescent problem behavior on life satisfaction (LS) as well as the mediating effect of different aspects of parent–child subsystem quality that account for the effect of adolescents’ problem behavior on their LS
Summary
During the past several decades, the scope of youth research has expanded from the focus on psychopathology and its contributors (i.e., deficit perspective) to emphasis of the bright side of adolescents such as strengths, assets, and potential Shek psychology approach; Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi 2014). Based on the positive psychology perspective, multiple strengths have been highlighted in the extant literature, such as hope, resilience, and subjective well-being (Diener et al 2012). Inclusion of subjective well-being (e.g., happiness and positive affect) to psychopathological indicators (e.g., depression and other illness) helps portray a full picture of student mental health and accounted for a considerably larger amount of individual variances in developmental outcomes (Huebner et al 2014)
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