Parental psychological resources play a critical role in promoting children’s psychological resilience. However, previous research has mainly examined specific resources rather than the higher-order integrative construct of psychological capital (PsyCap), particularly in early childhood contexts. Drawing on Conservation of Resources Theory, Social Learning Theory, and the Actor–Partner Interdependence Model, this study examined the effects and mechanisms of parental PsyCap on preschool children’s psychological resilience. Participants were 460 couples with preschool children from Hunan Province, China. Mothers and fathers reported their PsyCap, mental health, and children’s psychological resilience. Results indicated that both maternal and paternal PsyCap were positively associated with children’s resilience. Significant actor effects emerged between each parent’s PsyCap and their own mental health, whereas for partner effects, only maternal PsyCap significantly predicted paternal mental health. Furthermore, parents’ mental health mediated the associations between both maternal and paternal PsyCap and children’s resilience. Notably, fathers’ mental health also mediated the association between maternal PsyCap and children’s resilience. These findings highlight the intergenerational transmission of psychological resources within families and provide new insights into how parental PsyCap contributes to children’s resilience development.
Zhang et al. (Wed,) studied this question.