The Relationship between Helicopter Parenting and Mental Health with Academic Welfare in High School Female Students: The Mediating Role of Academic Self-Efficacy

The aim of this study was to investigate the mediating role of academic self-efficacy in the relationship between helicopter parenting and mental health with academic well-being. The research method was correlation modeling of structural equations. The study population included all female high school students in Kerman in the academic year 1399-1400. In order to sample the population using the virtual snowball method, 422 female high school students (18-15 years old) were selected and answered the Helicopter Parenting Instrument–Short Version (Pistella, ISO, Isolania, Orno and Bioko, 2020), School-Related Well-Being Questionnaire (Petrinen, Sweeney and Piato, 2014), Academic Self-Efficacy Scale (Migli, Maher, Herod, Anderman, Anderman and Freeman, 2000) and General Health Questionnaire (Yaghoubi, Karimi, Omidi, Barouti and Abedi, 2012). Pearson correlation and structural equation modeling were used to analyze the data. Findings showed that there is a positive and significant relationship between helicopter parenting and academic self-efficacy. The relationship between mental health and academic self-efficacy is also positive and significant. The indirect effect of positive mental health symptoms and symptoms of mental disorder on well-being through academic self-efficacy was statistically significant and the indirect effect of helicopter parenting on well-being through academic self-efficacy was statistically insignificant. In general, the results showed that the model tested in the present study fits well with the initial conceptual model and this model can be used in the academic well-being of female high school students.