Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41074014›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2025

Parental expectation and psychological distress of Chinese youth: the chain mediating effects of core self-worth and perceived stress.

Jing Zhou, Wanjie Tang, Zeyuan Sun, Shuang Xue, Qiaolan Liu, Siqi Wu, Qian Dai, Jiuping Xu

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In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Jing ZhouDepartment of Psychosomatic Medicine, the People's Hospital of Leshan , Leshan, China.
Wanjie TangSchool of West China Public Health, West China Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Sichuan University, Sichuan , China.
Zeyuan SunDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
Shuang XueDepartment of Psychology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
Qiaolan LiuSchool of West China Public Health, West China Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Sichuan University, Sichuan , China.
Siqi WuWest China School of Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Qian DaiSchool of Psychology, Charles Sturt University, Bathurst, NSW, Australia. qiandai2017@foxmail.com.
Jiuping XuDepartment of Psychology, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China. xujiuping@scu.edu.cn.

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China 82273745
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHigh parental expectations are increasingly recognized as a risk factor for youth mental health, yet the mechanisms underlying this association remain understudied, particularly in contexts like China where academic and familial pressures are pronounced. Existing literature highlights links between parental expectations and psychological distress but lacks clarity on mediating pathways.

methodsThis cross-sectional study analyzed data from 1,445 Chinese college students, using structural equation modeling (SEM). The model examined direct and indirect effects of parental expectations on psychological distress, with perceived stress and core self-worth as mediators, while controlling for co-variables.

resultsParental expectations exhibited a substantial total effect on psychological distress (β = 0.216, p < 0.001). Direct effects accounted for 43% of this association (β = 0.093), while 57% operated indirectly through three pathways: (1) perceived stress alone (27.3% mediation, β = 0.059), (2) a sequential chain of heightened stress, reduced core self-worth, and exacerbated distress (22.7% mediation, β = 0.049), and (3) reduced core self-worth alone (7.0% mediation, β = 0.015). The dual-mediator model revealed how parental expectations trigger stress-driven erosion of self-worth and, independently, a direct erosion of self-worth, disproportionately affecting young adults.

conclusionThese findings underscore the dual nature of parental expectations as both direct and cascading stressors. The study advances stress-appraisal theories by elucidating mechanisms through which external pressures from parental expectation internalize as psychological harm. Culturally tailored interventions should target stress resilience and core self-worth reinforcement. By addressing conditional acceptance and fostering autonomy, strategies can mitigate mental health risks tied to excessive parental demands. This research calls for policy and educational reforms to balance parental aspirations with children's well-being, emphasizing systemic support for marginalized youth.

Indexed as

Parent-Child RelationsParentsPsychological DistressSelf ConceptStress, PsychologicalStudentsAdolescentAdultChinaCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleSurveys and QuestionnairesUniversitiesYoung AdultChain mediation modelCollege studentsParental expectationPerceived stressPsychological distress

Identifiers

PMID41074014
PMCPMC12512374

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.