The mediating role of depression and moderating role of self-consciousness in the relationship between parental negative control and adolescents' perceived school climate.

Abstract

Background: A positive school climate benefits adolescents in multiple developmental dimensions. However, theoretical frameworks suggest that detrimental parenting practices can trigger adolescents' negative emotional states, which may skew their perceptions of school climate. Although self-consciousness, a critical intrapersonal trait, may mitigate these adverse effects, limited research has empirically explored its moderating role in the context where negative parenting influences adolescents' mental health and school-related outcomes. Thereby, this study investigates how parental negative control influences adolescents' perceived school climate via depression, with self-consciousness moderating the link between parental negative control and depression.

Methods: A short-term longitudinal design was employed, with the data collected from a sample of Chinese adolescents (N_T1 = 733, N_T2=711). Self-reports were used to measure parental negative control, depressive symptoms, self-consciousness, and perceived school climate. Structural equation modeling was conducted to assess the mediating effect of depression and the moderating effect of self-consciousness.

Results: The findings show that depression mediates the relationship between parental negative control and perceived school climate. Adolescents experiencing higher levels of negative control reported more depressive symptoms, which were associated with lower perceptions of school climate. Self-consciousness moderates the link between parental negative control and depression, with adolescents exhibiting higher self-consciousness showing less vulnerability to the adverse effects of negative control.

Conclusions: This study reveals the detrimental impact of parental negative control and depression on adolescents' perceived school climate while highlighting the protective role of self-consciousness. Interventions can target families engaged in maladaptive parenting practices and adolescents with psychopathological symptoms, focusing on enhancing family dynamics and adolescents' self-processes.