Associations among negative parenting styles, parenting stress, and children's problem behaviors: A three-year longitudinal study

According to previous empirical studies and theoretical frameworks, negative parenting styles, parenting stress (PS), and children's problem behaviors (CPBs) may be bidirectionally related to one another. However, the mediating role of PS in the relationship between negative parenting styles and CPBs has not been fully investigated. This study evaluated the bidirectional relationships among these variables, and the mediating role of PS, by constructing cross-lagged panel models. A total of 689 Chinese parents completed self-report measures over a 3-year period. The results revealed there were positive bidirectional relations: authoritarian and inconsistent parenting styles predicted subsequent PS (T1-T2: β = 0.12, β = 0.15), while PS, in turn, predicted subsequent negative parenting styles (T2-T3: β = 0.09, β = 0.10). Similarly, CPBs-including learning problems, hyperactivity Index (an indicator of hyperactivity), and anxiety- predicted subsequent PS (T2-T3: β = 0.10, β = 0.11, β = 0.08), which, in turn, predicted increased CPBs (T2-T3: β = 0.09, β = 0.07, β = 0.09). Moreover, T1 negative parenting styles had an indirect effect on T3 CPBs through T2 PS. Additionally, T3 children's learning problems affected T1 authoritarian and inconsistent parenting through T2 PS (95 % CI: 0.001 to 0.019). These findings support the Interaction Model of Development and extend the Family Stress Theory by elucidating the mechanisms through which parenting stress emerges and influences family dynamics. Our findings highlight the need for parenting support programs, stress management interventions, and school-based behavioral initiatives to mitigate behavioral difficulties among children.