Parental psychological control and depression, anxiety among adolescents: The mediating role of bedtime procrastination and moderating role of neuroticism

Studies have shown that maladaptive parenting styles, particularly parental psychological control may be an important risk factor for emotional problems in adolescence. However, the potential mechanisms behind this association are still not fully understood. To fill the research gap, this study investigated the relationship between parental psychological control and depression and anxiety among adolescents. It also explored the mediating effect of bedtime procrastination and the moderating effect of neuroticism through a moderated mediation analysis. A sample of 665 adolescents (331 girls) were recruited from two secondary schools in southern China. All participants completed standardized self-report questionnaires measuring the severity of parental psychological control, bedtime procrastination, depression, anxiety, and neuroticism. Data were analyzed using SPSS 25.0 and PROCESS macros. The results indicated that parental psychological control had a positive predictive effect on depression and anxiety among adolescents. Bedtime procrastination partially mediated the relationship between parental psychological control and depression, as well as parental psychological control and anxiety. Neuroticism was found to play a moderating role in the path from bedtime procrastination to depression and from bedtime procrastination to anxiety, with these effects being stronger for adolescents with higher levels of neuroticism. This study advances a deeper understanding of how and when or for whom parental psychological control is related to adolescents' severe depression and anxiety. Our findings suggest that intervention programs or strategies aimed at reducing parental psychological control and assisting adolescents in establishing healthy sleep hygiene practices should be developed to decrease the risk of depression and anxiety in adolescents.