The Influence of Parenting Styles on Mental Health Among Children in Henan Province, China
Abstract
This study aims to examine the correlation between parenting styles of children and their mental health. A cross-sectional study with 384 children with parents was carried out in Henan Province with children aged 10-13 years old. The findings showed a significant negative correlation between emotional warmth and mental health (β = -0.253, p< 0.001), indicating that the higher the level of emotional warmth perceived during the parenting process, the lower the mental health symptom scores, reflecting better mental health in children. There is a significant positive correlation between rejection and mental health (β = 0.381, p < 0.001), indicating that higher levels of perceived rejection during the parenting process are associated with higher mental health symptom scores, reflecting poorer mental health in children. There is a significant difference in parenting styles by grade level (F = 3.491, p = 0.016). In conclusion, only some of the research hypotheses are supported in this study. The mental health of children is greatly impacted by the parenting methods of their parents. Parenting philosophies that prioritised rejection and emotional warmth had a stronger effect on children's mental health.
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