Parental psychological capital positively influences adolescent psychological capital through social capital as a partial mediator, with this mediating effect being stronger in urban communities with high proximity to the downtown area compared to suburban communities.
Family (parental) psychological capital, social capital, and adolescent psychological capital were all significantly and positively correlated with each other.
Parental psychological capital was significantly and positively associated with adolescent psychological capital.
Social capital partially mediated the relationship between parental psychological capital and adolescent psychological capital.
Community type significantly moderated the path from parental psychological capital to social capital.
The inter-generational transmission of psychological capital was found to be contextually dependent on community stratification.
This research suggests that parents who have strong psychological capital — which includes qualities like hope, resilience, optimism, and self-efficacy — tend to have children (adolescents) who also develop these positive psychological traits. The study, which surveyed 502 Shanghai families including high school students and both of their parents (1,506 people total), found that this parent-to-child transmission of psychological strengths does not happen only through direct family interaction. It is also partly channeled through social capital, meaning the social connections, community networks, and trust that families build and use within their neighborhoods. Importantly, the study found that where a family lives matters. In urban communities closer to the city center (downtown Shanghai), the link between parental psychological resources and social capital was stronger than in suburban communities. This means that families in more centrally located, urban neighborhoods may have greater access to community networks that help convert parental psychological strengths into resources benefiting their children's development, while suburban families may not have the same level of community infrastructure to support this process. This research suggests that efforts to improve adolescent mental health and psychological well-being should consider not just what happens inside families, but also the community environment in which families live. Interventions that strengthen community social networks — particularly in suburban or peripheral areas where these networks may be weaker — could help reduce disparities in adolescent psychological development linked to where families live.
Bu Q, Peng M, Yu Z, Yang C, Wen S, Pan Y. (2026). Inter-generational transmission of psychological capital for adolescents: the mediating role of community social capital and the moderating role of spatial stratification.. Frontiers in public health. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1728505