Boarding school attendance and mental health among Chinese adolescents: The potential role of alienation from parents

Previous research found that early boarders are more likely to suffer from emotional difficulties than non-boarders. However, it remains unknown whether and how school boarding experiences affect individual mental health among adolescents. This study examined if boarding school experience was related to mental health among Chinese adolescents and whether alienation from parents mediated the association. Participants (n = 299, 53.5% girls, Mage = 13.07, SD = 1.37) reported on whether they boarded at school in the current semester, alienation from mother and father, and mental health, including symptoms of depression and anxiety. Boarding at school was found to relate significantly to depressive and anxiety symptoms. Boarding at school contributed indirectly to poorer mental health among adolescents due to alienation from both mother and father. The findings reveal the potential negative psychological consequences of boarding at school on adolescents and contribute to the knowledge regarding the mechanism behind such associations. Furthermore, our study highlights the concern on young boarders’ mental health and emphasizes the role of parental relationship in developing interventions.