CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS’ PARTICIPATION IN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES IN MACAU: ASSOCIATION WITH ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND MENTAL HEALTH

ABSTRACT

THE SUICIDE RATE HAS BEEN INCREASING THESE DECADES. A GOOD MENTAL HEALTH COULD PREVENT PEOPLE FROM COMMITTING SUICIDE. PARENTS ARE THE ONES WHOM WE SPEND MOST OF THE TIME WITH. HOW PARENTS TREAT US DOES HAVE AN IMPACT ON BOTH OUR DEVELOPMENT AND MENTAL HEALTH. HOWEVER, SOME PEOPLE CAN ALWAYS SEE THE POSITIVE SIDE OF THINGS AND EXPECT THINGS TO TURN OUT WELL. THEREFORE, THE PRESENT STUDY AIMS TO EXAMINE IF RESILIENCE WOULD MEDIATE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PARENTING STYLES AND MENTAL HEALTH IN BACHELOR STUDENTS. A CROSS-SECTIONAL RESEARCH METHOD WAS USED IN THIS STUDY. DATA WERE COLLECTED THROUGH GOOGLE FORMS. THE SAMPLE CONSISTS OF 110 BACHELOR STUDENTS IN MACAU, WITH 46 MALES (42%) AND 64 FEMALES (58%). ACCORDING TO THE FINDINGS OF THE STUDY, THE MEDIATING ROLE OF RESILIENCE IN THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PARENTING STYLES AND MENTAL HEALTH WERE FOUND TO BE NOT SIGNIFICANT. HOWEVER, BACHELOR STUDENTS WHO PERCEIVED THEIR MOTHERS AS AUTHORITATIVE PARENTING STYLE WERE FOUND TO HAVE BETTER MENTAL HEALTH. WHILE HIGHER RESILIENCE WAS FOUND TO HAVE LESS IMPACT ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF BACHELOR STUDENTS. THIS STUDY HAS POINTED OUT THE IMPORTANCE OF DIFFERENT PARENTING STYLES ON BACHELOR STUDENTS' MENTAL HEALTH AND FURTHER PROVES THE POSITIVE INFLUENCE OF RESILIENCE TOWARDS MENTAL HEALTH. THERE IS A NEED TO CULTIVATE THE RESILIENCE OF BACHELOR STUDENTS TO HELP THEM BETTER EQUIP THEMSELVES FOR STRESSFUL SITUATIONS AND COPE WITH CRISES. WORKSHOPS OR INTERVENTIONS ARE ALSO NEEDED FOR PARENTS TO TEACH THEM BETTER PARENTING SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE, SO THAT THE MENTAL HEALTH OF THEIR CHILDREN COULD BE ENHANCED BY THAT.