Work

Association of parental verbal responsivity with reduced mental health problems in preschool-aged children: a cross-sectional study of 21,366 dyads in western China

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Background: Mental health problems affect 7%-18% of preschool-aged children globally, with early interventions crucial for mitigating long-term impacts. Parental verbal responsivity (PVR) is a modifiable factor linked to cognitive and emotional development, yet large-scale studies on its association with mental health in young children remain scarce. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between February 28 and March 5, 2025, in a western Chinese city, involving 21,366 parent-child dyads from 189 kindergartens. Parental Verbal Responsivity (PVR) was assessed using the parent-reported StimQ, which measures verbal interactions during daily routines, play, and regulation activities. Child mental health was evaluated via the parent-reported Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Multivariable logistic regression models were employed, adjusting for relevant sociodemographic and lifestyle covariates. Results: < 0.0001 significance. Subgroup analyses revealed effect modifications by parental gender, education, employment status, annual family income, and smoking status and alcohol intake status. Conclusion: In this large-scale study, a weak association was found between verbal interaction frequency and child mental health, explaining less than 1% of outcome variance. This highlights the limitation of measuring only interaction frequency and underscores the need for future research to incorporate multi-informant and observational methods to better understand pathways to child mental health.

Source: Frontiers in Psychology

DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1688294

Authors: Fenling Feng, Hongli Sun, Yujun Wang

Institutions: Xi’an Children’s Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University

Language: English

Topic: Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development

Subfield: Clinical Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,801