Exploring the impact of marital relationship on the mental health of children: Does parent-child relationship matter?

J Health Psychol. 2020 Sep;25(10-11):1669-1680. doi: 10.1177/1359105318769348. Epub 2018 Apr 23.

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the associations between marital relationships and parent-child relationships on children's mental health. Participants included 19,487 students from the 2013-2014 baseline China Education Panel Survey. Structural equation modeling was applied to analyze the data and results revealed that marital and parent-child relationships positively affected children's mental health. Parent-child relationship also played a mediating role between marital relationship and children's mental health. The unique contributions of this study and its theoretical and practical implications were discussed.

Keywords: China; children; marital relationship; mental health; parent–child relationship.

MeSH terms

  • Child
  • China
  • Humans
  • Marriage*
  • Mental Health*
  • Parent-Child Relations
  • Surveys and Questionnaires