Life events and parent style for mental health in children: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Life events and parenting styles might play an important role in children's mental health.

Aims: This study aims to explore how life events and parenting styles influence children's mental health based on a Chinese sample.

Methods: A total of 3535 participants had at least one mental disorder (positive group), while a total of 3561 participants had no mental disorders (negative group). The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), Adolescent Self-Rating Life Events Check List (ASLEC) and Egna Minnen Beträffande Uppfostran (EMBU) were used for screening these two groups.

Results: CBCL total scores differed significantly by sex in the Positive group according to the Mann-Whitney tests (Z = -5.40, p < 0.001). Multiple regression analyses showed that the dimensions of punishment (p = 0.014) and other (p = 0.048) in the ASLEC scale can significantly predict CBCL total scores in the Positive group. Sex, age and overprotection from the father were risk factors (p < 0.001) according to binary logistic regression.

Conclusions: Life events and parenting styles may have impacts on mental health. Fathers play a very important role in children's growth. Punitive education and fathers' overprotection might be risk factors for children's mental health.

Impact: It is a large sample (3535) study of Chinese children and adolescents It provides evidence that life events and parenting styles have impacts on mental health and that fathers play a very important role in children's growth. It is conducive to the development of interventions for the mental health of children and adolescents.