Parenting style and interpersonal distress among adolescent Chinese boarding students: a serial mediation model via self-efficacy and social support

Abstract

Parenting style critically influences adolescent interpersonal adjustment, yet the underlying mechanisms are unclear. This study examined the serial mediation of self-efficacy and social support between parenting style and interpersonal distress in 604 Chinese boarding junior high school students (318 boys and 286 girls). Using the PROCESS macro (Model 6) with 5,000 bootstrap resamples, Analysis revealed two distinct pathways. For positive parenting, a suppression effect occurred: its direct association with distress became positive after accounting for mediators, confirming that its protective effect operates entirely through enhanced self-efficacy and social support. Conversely, negative parenting’s harmful impact was fully mediated by reductions in these same resources, thereby increasing distress. Findings highlight the differential mechanisms linking parenting to adolescent interpersonal outcomes, offering valuable insights for family- and school-based interventions. Limitations include the cross-sectional design and self-report data.