Associations between family functioning, psychological resilience, and emotional competence among primary and secondary school students in Chengdu, Sichuan Province: an exploratory study using structural equation modeling.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, with rapid societal changes and increasing educational pressures, the mental health of primary and secondary school students has garnered significant attention. Psychological resilience, as a core capacity for coping with adversity, and emotional competence, as a foundation for emotional regulation in social adaptation, are crucial for student development, with family functioning being a primary environmental factor closely associated with them. Research suggests that healthy family functioning may be associated with higher psychological resilience and emotional competence, while family dysfunction may be linked to increased psychological distress. However, the interconnected mechanisms among family functioning, psychological resilience, and emotional competence, as well as the roles of factors such as gender, urban-rural differences, and grade level, still require further exploration. OBJECTIVES: To explore the associations between family functioning, psychological resilience, and emotional competence among primary and secondary school students in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, and their underlying mechanisms. The study aims to provide a scientific basis for educators and parents to develop targeted mental health interventions. DESIGN: Multicenter cross-sectional study. METHODS: A cluster sampling method was employed to survey 7,937 students from grades 1 to 9 across five schools in Chengdu. Data were collected using the Chinese Family Assessment Instrument (C-FAI, assessing family mutual support, communication, and conflict harmony), the Resilience Subscale and Emotional Competence Subscale of the Chinese Positive Youth Development Scale (CPYDS, measuring adaptation and recovery under stress, and the ability to perceive, understand, and manage emotions, respectively). Data were double-entered and verified using Epidata 3.1. SPSS 26.0 was used for descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and difference tests (independent samples t-test, Welch t-test, one-way ANOVA, or Welch ANOVA based on data distribution, with Games-Howell post-hoc tests). Partial correlation analysis controlled for gender, urban/rural residence, and grade. Structural equation modeling was conducted using AMOS 26.0 to analyze the associations and mediating effects among family functioning, psychological resilience, and emotional competence, and to evaluate model fit. Harman' s single-factor test was applied to detect common method bias. The significance level was set at α=0.05. RESULTS: Family functioning showed significant differences across gender, urban/rural location, and grade level (P<0.05): male students (1.97±0.74), rural students (1.97±0.73), and students in grades 7-9 reported more severe family dysfunction. Psychological resilience was significantly positively correlated with emotional competence (r=0.646,P<0.001), and both were negatively correlated with family dysfunction (r=-0.394 and r=-0.376, respectively, P<0.001). The structural equation model demonstrated a good fit (CMIN/DF=6.988,RMSEA=0.027). Path analysis from the model indicated that psychological resilience may be indirectly associated with emotional competence through family functioning. The mediating effect of this path was 0.089, accounting for 9.2% of the total effect (95% CI: 0.667-0.726, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Family dysfunction is significantly negatively correlated with the psychological resilience and emotional competence of primary and secondary school students, with psychological resilience indirectly associated with emotional competence through family functioning. Boys, rural students, and those in grades 7-9 exhibit more severe family dysfunction, warranting focused attention. It is recommended to implement interventions such as "Parent-Child Co-Creation Day," communication training, and "Father' s Role Workshop" to optimize family functioning, thereby supporting the mental health of primary and secondary school students.