Family Causes of Psychological Problems of Junior Middle School Students From Single-Parent Families and Their Effects on School Performance

Abstract

Psychological problems of adolescents have become more common, and changes in the family structure of single-parent families have exacerbated psychological problems and daily behaviour. Different family factors will have different degrees of influence on single-parent families. This research will adopt a qualitative method, in which several junior middle school students from single-parent families are collected through interviewing to understand the students' self-evaluation of the current family and school performance. According to the results of the research, it can be seen that family factors greatly influence adolescents from single-parent families. They are often sensitive, have low self-esteem, and desire companionship and attention. The guardian’s education level and style directly affect adolescents' learning attitudes and behaviour. The lack of parental presence leads to increased psychological problems and poor school performance in adolescents from single-parent families, and adolescents raised by grandparents are less emotionally close to their parents. So, in a single-parent family, the parent's company is the most important. Besides, parents' education style will also significantly impact adolescents' psychology and thus affect their school performance.