Psychological Development and Education ›› 2014, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (3): 293-302.

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Parental Psychological Control and Depression Among Adolescents:A Moderated Mediation Model

LAI Xue-fen1, ZHANG Wei2, BAO Zhen-zhou2, WANG Yan-hui1, XIONG Qing-long3   

  1. 1. School of Educational Science, Jiaying University, Meizhou 514015;
    2. School of Psychology/Center for studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631;
    3. Shuibai middle-school, Meizhou 514011
  • Online:2014-05-15 Published:2014-05-15

Abstract: To examine the relationship between parental psychological control and depression, as well as the mediating role of loneliness and the moderating role of effortful control in the effect of depression, 688 secondary students (mean age=15.62 years; 341 boys) were tested with parental psychological control questionnaire, loneliness scale, effortful control and depression questionnaire. The results indicated that: (1) after controlling for gender and grade, parental psychological control significantly contributed to depression. (2) Loneliness played partial mediating role in the relationship between parental psychological control and depression. (3) Effortful control moderated the mediated path through loneliness. Thus, both mediating and moderating effects exist in the association between parental psychological control and adolescents' depression.

Key words: parental psychological control, depression, loneliness, effortful control, adolescent

CLC Number: 

  • B844.2
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