Adolescent mental health is a global concern, yet the protective roles of parenting styles, ideal level (personal standards and aspirations), and frustration tolerance (capacity to endure setbacks) remain underexplored. This study surveyed 1,101 first-year high school students in Chongqing (March–June 2024) to assess these factors. Results showed a mean General Health Questionnaire score of 24.94 (SD = 6.62). Better academic performance correlated with higher ideal level, stronger frustration tolerance, and better mental health. Negative parenting positively predicted poorer mental health (β = 0.20, p < 0.001), while positive parenting and frustration tolerance were negative predictors (β = −0.49~−0.08, p < 0.01). Ideal level and frustration tolerance demonstrated a chain mediating effect (21.35%) between positive parenting and mental health. Findings indicate that positive parenting supports mental health partly through fostering aspirations and resilience, suggesting family and school interventions should cultivate these protective factors.
Jin et al. (Thu,) studied this question.
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