Description
Abstract
Background: College-going students face many interpersonal, social, and academic challenges, often aggravated by parental dynamics, including parental criticism.
Aims: Using a sequential mixed-methods approach, this study examines a) the influence of perceived parental criticism and perfectionism on the mental health of college-going students in India and (b) the mediating role of perfectionism between parental criticism and mental health. Method: Data was collected from 304 college students aged between 18 and 25 years (81.25% females, mean age 21.26 years ±1.48). Participants (N=14) for interviews were selected based on high perceived parental criticism scores on the Family Emotional Involvement and Criticism Scale.
Findings: Perfectionism partially mediated the relationship between parental criticism and mental health (β = 0.16, p < .001) with the mediational model explaining 18% of the variance in perfectionism and 28% of the variance in mental health (R² = .18 and R² = .28, respectively). Thematic analysis revealed parental criticism and expectations, its impact on mental health, communication dynamics between parents and children, the duality of perfectionism, coping with parental criticism, and the cultural influence on parental criticism as the main themes.
Implications: This study thus brings forward the role of parental criticism and perfectionism on mental health challenges, addressing which might mitigate the risk of pathology.
Keywords: Perfectionism, Parental Criticism, Mental Health, Mediation Analyses, College Students
