Psychological Control and Internalizing Problems: The Mediating Role of Mother-Child Relationship Quality

SYNOPSIS: Objective. This study examines the mediating role of mother-child relationship quality in the link between maternal psychological control and adolescent internalizing problems. Design. A sample of 938 Chinese adolescents (M_age  = 11.24 years) self-reported their mother-child relationship quality, depressive symptoms, and loneliness; their mothers (M_age  = 36.38 years) reported on psychological control. Results. Maternal psychological control at Time 1 (T1) was negatively associated with mother-child relationship quality at Time 2 (T2). Controlling for the effect of T1 adolescent internalizing problems, T2 mother-child relationship quality was negatively associated with T2 adolescent internalizing problems. T2 mother-child relationship quality fully mediated the relation between T1 psychological control and T2 internalizing problems. Conclusions. Declining maternal psychological control would improve relationships between adolescents and their mothers, in turn reducing adolescents’ internalizing problems.