Different parenting styles and rural Children’s mental Health: The mediational role of mental resilience

The baseline data from the China Education Panel Survey (CEPS) 2014–2015 was employed to construct linear regression models and structural equation models, which were used to investigate the effects of different parenting styles on the mental health of rural left-behind children. The study found that parenting behaviors and parenting attitudes in two different modes, intergenerational parenting and parental parenting, both have an impact on the mental health of rural left-behind children, with no significant difference between the two. Nevertheless, the quality of the relationship between children and their mothers has a considerable impact on their mental health. Secondly, parenting behavior exerts a direct and indirect influence on the mental health mechanism of these children, the direct effect is considerably more pronounced than the indirect effect; the impact of parenting attitudes on the mental health of left-behind children is contingent upon the mediating variable of mental resilience. In order to mitigate the adverse effects of parental absence on the mental health of left-behind children, it is imperative that families enhance their parenting attitudes, reinforce parent–child communication, and cultivate a nurturing family environment. Schools must implement human-centered education, enhance the professionalism of teachers, and extend greater care and support to left-behind children. Furthermore, the state and the government must prioritize the development of the rural economy and strive to narrow the urban–rural disparity.