Teacher–Student Relationships and Coping Styles in Chinese Children: The Chain Mediating Role of Peer Relationships and Psychological Suzhi

As age increases, children will face more and more adversity. How effectively they cope with stress and difficulties of life is of great significance to the development of children's mental health and academic achievement. However, few studies have explored how different interpersonal relationships and psychological <i>suzhi</i> work together to influence children's healthy behaviors, particularly healthy coping in adversity. Therefore, this research focused on the teacher-student relationships and coping styles, as well as the chain-mediated effects of peer relationships and psychological <i>suzhi</i>. A total of 688 children (360 boys, 52.3%; Mage = 10.98 and <i>SD</i> = 0.89) completed questionnaires that assessed using teacher-student relationships, peer relationships, psychological <i>suzhi</i>, and coping styles. The results indicated that teacher-student relationships correlated positively with coping styles, peer relationships, and psychological <i>suzhi</i> in children. Besides, teacher-student relationships positively affected coping styles through both the mediating roles of peer relationships and psychological <i>suzhi</i>. This research elucidated the extrinsic and intrinsic factors impacting the coping styles of children, thus providing empirical validation of existing theoretical frameworks. In China, interventions aimed at promoting Chinese children's positive coping could benefit from strategies focused on cultivating high-quality relationships and enhancing psychological <i>suzhi</i>.