Chinese Parents' Psychological Control and Adolescents' Psychological Well‐Being Over Time: The Role of Psychological Needs

INTRODUCTION: This study examined the longitudinal association between Chinese adolescents' perceptions of three dimensions of both parents' psychological control (i.e., relational induction, social comparison shaming, and harsh control) and their psychological well-being, indicated by life satisfaction and affective distress. We also explored the mediating roles of adolescents' basic psychological needs satisfaction and frustration, as well as adolescent gender differences in the associations. METHODS: Three-wave data were collected from 895 adolescents (52.07% girls, Mean age = 13.42 ± 1.26 years at baseline) in three urban secondary schools located in Jiujiang, Jiangxi Province and Chongqing, China. RESULTS: Structural equation modelling analyses showed that adolescents' perceptions of both parents' harsh control were associated with lower life satisfaction and higher affective distress over time, indirectly through the mediation of needs (dis)satisfaction. Parents' social comparison shame as perceived by adolescents was significantly associated with their lower life satisfaction (but not higher affective distress) directly. In contrast, perceived paternal relational induction was directly linked with higher life satisfaction and lower affective distress, while perceived maternal relational induction was indirectly associated with lower life satisfaction and higher affective distress through the mediation of needs frustration. No significant gender differences were identified among adolescents. CONCLUSIONS: The findings highlight potential distinctions between individual PC dimensions and between psychological need (dis)satisfaction and frustration.