Relationship among Youth Academic Stress, Parental Support and Mental Health

Abstract

The pursuit of academic achievement, and thus to realize the social mobility, win the honor and the glory of the family is the traditional Chinese culture. But the attention of the education achievement also causes great pressure and mental and physical diseases to children. We examined the role of parental support in the relation between academic stress and the mental health of primary school children in Shanghai. The results indicated that academic stress was a risk factor that heightened student anxiety levels and that parental emotional support was a protective factor that contributed to better mental health among children. However, paternal informational support delivered to children during times of high academic stress appeared to heighten student anxiety levels. The practical implications of the findings on parent education are discussed. 追求學業上的成就,并由此實現社會流動、贏得尊敬和家庭的榮耀是中國文化的傳統。但對教育成就的重視也導致兒童承受很大的壓力,引發心理和身體的疾病。對上海685名學生學業壓力與精神健康的調查證實,學業壓力是加劇學生焦慮的風險因素,而父母的情感支持是促進兒童精神健康的保護性因素。因此促進父母對兒童的學習參與是重要的,但要注意時機,動態了解兒童的學習壓力狀況并提供及時的情感支持,這樣有助于兒童的精神健康。