Department of Education and Human Services, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, USA.
School of Education, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Int J Psychol. 2021 Oct;56(5):756-765. doi: 10.1002/ijop.12749. Epub 2021 Mar 2.
Rural youth in China experience numerous challenges during their transition into adulthood. Yet, research on this transition and its relevant influential factors is rare. Through the lens of family systems theory, this study examined the impacts of family dynamics (i.e., interparental and parent-adolescent interactions) in adolescence on the psychological adjustment of youth as they transition into adulthood. Participants were 1330 youth and their mothers in rural Gansu. In 2004, mothers completed questionnaires of interparental and parent-adolescent interactions when youth were adolescents (M = 15.03, SD = 1.15). In 2009, youth completed questionnaires of depression and self-esteem when they were emerging adults (M = 20.03, SD = 1.15). Results of structural equation modelling suggested that while interparental interactions in adolescence were not associated with the psychological adjustment of youth in emerging adulthood, positive parent-adolescent interactions in adolescence predicted better psychological adjustment of youth in emerging adulthood. Furthermore, mediation analysis showed that although interparental interactions did not directly affect the psychological adjustment of youth, they were positively associated with parent-adolescent interactions, which in turn contributed to the psychological adjustment of youth. The results reveal an enduring influence of family dynamics on psychological adjustment among rural Chinese youth during the transition into adulthood.
中国农村青年在成年过渡期经历了诸多挑战。然而，关于这一过渡及其相关影响因素的研究却很少。本研究从家庭系统理论的角度出发，探讨了家庭动态（即父母间和父母-青少年互动）在青少年时期对青年向成年过渡期间心理适应的影响。研究对象为来自甘肃农村的 1330 名青年及其母亲。2004 年，当青少年处于青春期时，母亲们完成了关于父母间和父母-青少年互动的问卷调查（M = 15.03，SD = 1.15）。2009 年，青年们在成年初期完成了关于抑郁和自尊的问卷调查（M = 20.03，SD = 1.15）。结构方程模型的结果表明，虽然青春期的父母间互动与青年在成年初期的心理适应无关，但积极的父母-青少年互动可以预测青年在成年初期更好的心理适应。此外，中介分析表明，尽管父母间互动不会直接影响青年的心理适应，但它们与父母-青少年互动呈正相关，而后者又有助于青年的心理适应。研究结果揭示了家庭动态对中国农村青年向成年过渡期间心理适应的持久影响。
