Parental Achievement Pressure and Emotional and Behavioral Problems in Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Adolescent-Parent Conflict and Adolescent Distress

English (OpenAlex)

Background: Excessive pressure from parents to achieve academically has been acknowledged as a substantial risk factor associated with adolescents’ psychological adjustment. However, the mechanisms through which parental achievement pressure contributes to adolescents’ emotional and behavioral problems remain insufficiently understood. This study examined the relationship between parental achievement pressure and emotional and behavioral problems in adolescents, with parent–adolescent conflict and adolescent distress as sequential mediators. Methods: A total of 676 adolescents aged 12–15 years from the Batman province of Türkiye participated in the study. Data were collected using the Parental Achievement Pressure Scale, the Adolescent–Parent Conflict Scale, the Adolescent Distress Scale, and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Serial mediation analysis was conducted using PROCESS Macro Model 6, with parental achievement pressure as the independent variable, emotional and behavioral problems as the dependent variable, and parent–adolescent conflict and adolescent distress as sequential mediators. Results: Research findings showed that parental achievement pressure (β = 0.140, p = 0.001), parent–adolescent conflict (β = 0.182, p < 0.001), and adolescent distress (β = 0.219, p < 0.001) were positively associated with emotional and behavioral problems. Significant indirect effects were also observed through parent–adolescent conflict (β = 0.097), adolescent distress (β = 0.070), and their sequential pathway (β = 0.021). The final model explained 19.1% of the variance. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that parental achievement pressure may be associated with adolescents’ emotional and behavioral problems both directly and indirectly through parent–adolescent conflict and adolescent distress. These findings emphasize the importance of family- and school-based interventions aimed at reducing excessive achievement pressure, strengthening parent–adolescent communication, and supporting adolescents’ stress-management skills.