The effect of parental educational expectations stress on adolescents' depression in China: The mediating roles of self-efficacy and anxiety, and the moderating role of authoritarian parenting

Previous studies have primarily examined the benefits of parental educational expectations while overlooking their negative aspects, particularly parental educational expectation stress. The mechanisms and boundary conditions through which parental educational expectations stress influences adolescent depression remain unclear. To address this research gap, this study aimed to examine the mediating roles of self-efficacy and anxiety and the moderating role of authoritarian parenting based on the stress process theory. Baseline data from the China Education Panel Survey (CEPS, 2014–2015), comprising 6696 Chinese adolescents, were employed in this study. The results showed that parental educational expectations stress was significantly and positively related to adolescents' anxiety and depression, while it was significantly and negatively related to their self-efficacy. Self-efficacy was significantly and negatively related to adolescents' anxiety and depression. Anxiety was significantly and positively related to adolescent depression. Self-efficacy and anxiety served as independent mediators between parental educational expectations stress and adolescent depression, as well as having a chain mediating role. Authoritarian parenting not only moderated the relationship between parental educational expectations stress and adolescent depression but also the relationship between parental educational expectations stress and adolescent anxiety. This study offers a new perspective on parental educational expectations research, with findings discussed in depth.