Parental Punishment and Adolescents’ Loneliness: A Moderated Mediation Model of General Self-Concept and Teacher–Student Relationships

Background: Loneliness adversely affects physical and mental health; therefore, it is necessary to explore its related influencing factors and mechanisms. This study investigated the mediating role of general self-concept in the association between parental punishment (PP) and adolescent loneliness and as well as the moderating role of teacher-student relationships (TSR) in Chinese students. Methods: Data were obtained from 1,169 Chinese students (10-18years old) using several self-report questionnaires: the Egna Minnen av Barndoms Uppfostran (EMBU), Self-Description Questionnaire (SDQ), Teacher-Student Relationships Scale (TSR), and UCLA Loneliness Scale. Data were analyzed with IBM SPSS 22.0, and the PROCESS macro program. Results: (1) Parental punishment had a positive predictive effect on adolescent loneliness, (2) parental punishment predicted adolescent loneliness not only directly but also indirectly through the mediating effect of general self-concept, and (3) teacher-student relationships moderated the influence of PP on adolescent loneliness. Conclusion: Adolescent loneliness is less affected by parental punishment when TSRs are better. Additionally, when adolescents are punished less by their parents and have good teacher-student relationships, they have higher general self-concepts. Limitations: This study's cross-sectional research design was unable to show causal relationships among the factors influencing adolescent loneliness.