Open Access

ARTICLE

The Relationship between Overparenting and Adolescent Anxiety: The Mediating Role of Cognitive Avoidance

by Dawei Wang^1,#, Ranran Wang^2,#, Peng Yu^1,2,*, Xiangyin Meng², Yixin Hu^1,*

1 Educational Development Research Center of Southern Xinjiang, Kashi University, Kashi, 844008, China
2 School of Educational Science, Kashi University, Kashi, 844008, China

* Corresponding Authors: Peng Yu. Email: ; Yixin Hu. Email:
# Dawei Wang and Ranran Wang share co-first author

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion 2024, 26(8), 643-650. https://doi.org/10.32604/ijmhp.2024.052885

Received 18 April 2024; Accepted 08 July 2024; Issue published 30 August 2024

Abstract

Background: Adolescent anxiety has a significant impact on physical and mental health, and overparenting is recognized as one of the major factors affecting adolescent anxiety. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between overparenting and adolescent anxiety, while also examining the mediating role of cognitive avoidance. Methods: Data were collected through a cross-sectional survey with 1931 valid responses using the Overparenting Scale, the Cognitive Avoidance Scale, and the Anxiety Self-Rating Scale. A structural equation modelling approach was used to test the mediating role of cognitive avoidance between overparenting and adolescent anxiety and to reveal the underlying mechanisms. The significance of the mediating effect was assessed based on maximum likelihood estimation. Differences in the mediating role of cognitive avoidance in the male and female samples were comparatively analyzed in the mediation effect analysis. Results: The study’s findings reveal a significant positive correlation between overparenting and adolescent anxiety (p < 0.01), between overparenting and cognitive avoidance (p < 0.01), and between cognitive avoidance and adolescent anxiety (p < 0.01). Cognitive avoidance mediated the relationship between overparenting and adolescent anxiety. Overparenting can not only directly predict adolescent anxiety but also indirectly predict it through the mediating role of cognitive avoidance. Conclusion: This study validates the direct effect of overparenting on adolescent anxiety and reveals the mechanism of cognitive avoidance as a mediator.

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Keywords

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