Parental Psychological Control and Depression in University Students: The Chain Mediating Role of Self-Compassion and Emotion Regulation Difficulties

Parental psychological control has emerged as a significant risk factor for mental health challenges in young adults. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between parental psychological control and depression, with a specific focus on the chain mediating role of self-compassion and emotion regulation difficulties among Chinese university students. A cross-sectional survey was administered to 363 university students (aged 17-24, 43.3% males, 56.7% females), who completed measures of parental psychological control, emotion regulation difficulties, self-compassion and depression. Findings revealed a significant positive relationship between parental psychological control and depression. Both self-compassion and emotion regulation difficulties independently mediated this association. Furthermore, the chain mediation of self-compassion and emotion regulation difficulties was significant, indicating that parental psychological control was linked with increased depression through decreased self-compassion and increased emotion regulation difficulties. This study sheds light on the significance of minimizing parental psychological control and cultivating a positive family atmosphere to alleviate depression. Parental psychological control has been identified as a potential risk factor for depression, hindering the development of self-compassion, increasing emotional regulation difficulties, with the diminished self-compassion also aggravating emotion regulation difficulties. Despite the cross-sectional design limiting causal inferences, our findings still highlight potential targets for interventions aimed at reducing depression.