A Longitudinal Study on the Effect of mothers' monitoring and Social Support Perceived by Multicultural Adolescents on School Adjustment: Focusing on the Mediating Effects of Psychological Problems

Objectives The purpose of this study is to longitudinally analyze how mothers' monitoring and social support, as perceived by multicultural adolescents, affect school adjustment through the mediation of psychological problems. Methods The study utilized data from the 4th (2014), 5th (2015), and 6th (2016) waves of the Multicultural Adolescents Panel Study, involving 1,217 multicultural adolescents and their foreign mothers. The relationships between mothers' monitoring, social support, psychological problems, and school adjustment were analyzed longitudinally using SPSS and AMOS through correlation and structural equation modeling. Results First, higher levels of mothers' monitoring and social support, as perceived by multicultural adolescents in 1st grade of middle school, were associated with lower levels of psychological problems in 2nd grade. Second, adolescents who perceived higher levels of mothers' monitoring and social support in 1st grade showed improved school adjustment by 3rd grade. Third, the more severe the psychological problems in 2nd grade, the lower the school adjustment level in 3rd grade. Fourth, the mediating effect of psychological problems was verified. Over time, mothers' monitoring and social support in 1st grade directly influenced school adjustment in 3rd grade and indirectly through psychological problems in 2nd grade. Conclusions The study examined the impact of mothers' monitoring and social support on multicultural adolescents' psychological problems and school adjustment. It also identified the mediating effects of psychological problems and explored causal relationships and developmental trends over time. Based on these findings, practical recommendations were proposed to support the development of multicultural families and enhance school adjustment and reduce psychological problems in multicultural adolescents.