A Developmental System Perspective to Interpret the Link between Parental Fixed Mindset and Youth Mental Health: A Moderated Mediation Model

From a developmental system perspective, the present study constructed a moderated mediation model to examine whether youth core self-evaluation (individual factor) served as a mediator and peer support (peer system) served as a moderator in the effect of parental fixed mindset (family system) on youth mental health symptoms. In total, 658 pairs of emerging adults and their parents participated in this study. Youth completed measurements on core self-evaluation, peer support, and mental health symptoms, while their parents filled in the questionnaire on fixed mindset. Mediation analysis indicated that parental fixed mindset was related to increased youth mental health symptoms, and youth core self-evaluation partially mediated this relationship. Moderated mediation analysis suggested that peer support mitigated the mediating process with the direct pathway from parental fixed mindset to youth mental health symptoms and the indirect pathway from parental fixed mindset to youth core self-evaluation being weaker at a high level of peer support. This study highlights how and when a family system, peer system, and individual factors combine to influence youth mental health. The findings suggest it is the interaction of these factors that has to be addressed in efforts to reduce the prevalence of youth mental health symptoms.