Home-based Parental Involvement and Early Adolescents’ Socio-emotional Adjustment at Middle School in China: A Longitudinal Exploration of Mediating Mechanisms

Parental involvement is positively associated with children’s psychological development and school outcomes; however, there is limited longitudinal evidence for how home-based parental involvement contributes to adolescents adapting positively to the school environment. The current study examined whether and how home-based parental involvement impacts socio-emotional adjustment during the first year of middle school using a stress coping perspective and attachment theory. Two waves of data from the China Education Panel Survey (CEPS, 2013–2014 and 2014–2015) were analyzed. A total of 8475 Chinese students in grade 7 and their parents were selected from the CEPS database. We examined the effects of two types of home-based parental involvement (i.e., parent–adolescent communication and time spent with children, reported by the adolescent’s father or mother) on adolescents’ socio-emotional adjustment (reported by the adolescents). The mediating role of the parent–adolescent relationship and adolescents’ support-seeking in the relationship between home-based parental involvement and adolescents’ socio-emotional adjustment was also investigated. Our results reveal that two types of home-based parental involvement positively predicted adolescents’ socio-emotional adjustment over time. Furthermore, the results of our four mediation models indicate that two types of home-based parental involvement were positively associated with adolescents’ socio-emotional adjustment via increased adolescents’ support-seeking and a close parent–adolescent relationship. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed.