Peer-reviewed article
The Influence of Adolescent Problem Behaviors on Life Satisfaction: Parent–Child Subsystem Qualities as Mediators
Xiaoqin Zhu, Daniel T. L. Shek ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This longitudinal study followed 2,669 adolescents in Hong Kong over three years to understand how problem behaviors affect life satisfaction. Both externalizing behaviors (like aggression) and internalizing behaviors (like anxiety) were found to reduce adolescents' life satisfaction over time. The negative effects of externalizing behavior were partly explained by parents reducing their involvement and warmth in response, while internalizing behaviors' effects operated through different mechanisms.
Key points
- Both externalizing and internalizing problem behaviors led to decreased life satisfaction over a three-year period
- Parental behavioral control and parent-child relational quality mediated the effects of externalizing behavior on life satisfaction
- Parents responded to externalizing behavior by reducing parental involvement and warmth, which contributed to lower adolescent life satisfaction
- Parental factors did not mediate the effects of internalizing behavior on life satisfaction
- The study recommends reducing adolescent problem behaviors and helping parents understand children's emotional and behavioral difficulties
Limitations
The study examines associations between variables but does not test causal interventions to improve life satisfaction or reduce problem behaviors. The findings are specific to Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong and may not generalize to other populations.
Abstract
Abstract Research studies showed that adolescent problem behaviors were negatively associated with their life satisfaction. However, the negative impact of problem behaviors on life satisfaction has not been sufficiently researched using longitudinal design and the potential mechanisms have not been well examined. The present study attempted to investigate how early adolescents’ externalizing and internalizing behaviors affect their life satisfaction (LS) as well as the mediating effects of parent-child subsystem qualities. Based on a sample of 2669 Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong who were followed up for three years, the present study found that both externalizing and internalizing behavior led to a decrease in LS among adolescents over time. While parental behavioral control and parent-child relational quality mediated the effects of externalizing behavior, parental factors did not mediate the effects of internalizing behavior. More specifically, parents tended to respond to children’s externalizing behavior by reducing parental involvement and warmth, which subsequently resulted in lower LS of adolescents. The findings imply that it is necessary to promote adolescent LS by reducing their problem behaviors. Moreover, parents should develop effective ways to enhance their understanding of children’s emotional and behavioral difficulties.