Filial Piety and Positive Mental Health: Investigating the Roles of Reciprocal and Authoritarian Filial Piety in Singapore

The implications of filial piety on mental health and well-being have been increasingly examined within contemporary Eastern societies such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China. However, no studies to date have investigated the association between filial piety and positive mental health. The present study is the first to do so within the context of another East Asian society, Singapore. A total of 272 Singaporean participants ( M age = 30.0, SD = 7.7 years) completed an online survey assessing filial piety beliefs and positive mental health. Multiple hierarchical linear regression analyses were conducted to examine the extent to which filial piety beliefs accounted for variance in positive mental health outcomes. After controlling for potential confounders, both reciprocal and authoritarian filial piety positively predicted overall positive mental health. Specifically, reciprocal filial piety positively predicted the dimensions of general coping, emotional support, interpersonal skills, and personal growth and autonomy, while authoritarian filial piety was uniquely associated with spirituality. No significant associations were found between filial piety beliefs and global affect. These findings highlight the nuanced association between filial piety and broader conceptualizations of eudaimonic and hedonic well-being, contributing to the theoretical understanding of cultural beliefs and their role in mental health, and the subsequent development of culturally sensitive therapeutic interventions and policy-making.