The Impact of Parenting Styles On the Subjective Well-being of Adolescents: An Analysis of the Mediating Effect of Self-esteem

This study examines the complex interplay between parenting styles, self-esteem, and subjective well-being among impoverished adolescents in China, a demographic often marginalized in psychosocial research. Drawing on a sample of 1,262 adolescents from low-income urban and rural families in Qingdao, the research employs structural equation modeling to investigate how parenting practices influence well-being, with self-esteem as a mediating variable. Contrary to conventional findings in general adolescent populations, the results reveal that nurturing parenting styles (e.g., emotional support and encouragement) negatively correlate with subjective well-being in this disadvantaged group(β=-0.144, p < 0.01), while stricter parental control demonstrates a paradoxical positive effect. This suggests that material deprivation may alter the psychosocial dynamics of parent-child interactions, where emotional support alone fails to compensate for unmet basic needs.Self-esteem emerges as a robust predictor of well-being (β = 0.368, p < 0.001), aligning with prior studies. Notably, it partially mediates the relationship between parenting styles and well-being, accounting for 66.1% of the variance in the model. This mediation effect underscores self-esteem’s role as a psychological buffer against socioeconomic adversity. The study also highlights demographic nuances: rural adolescents and those with prolonged exposure to poverty exhibit distinct patterns in how parenting and self-esteem interact to shape well-being.These findings challenge universal assumptions about parenting efficacy and advocate for context-sensitive interventions. Practical implications include integrating material support with psychosocial programs to strengthen self-esteem and adapting parenting guidance for low-income families. The research contributes to the literature by (1) revealing the unique mechanisms linking parenting to well-being in poverty contexts and (2) emphasizing the need for policies that address both economic and emotional deprivations.