Open Access

ARTICLE

Linking Filial Piety to Adolescent Autonomy: The Sequential Mediating Roles of Depression and Well-Being in Taiwanese University Students

Yao-Chung Cheng^1,2, Wei-Sho Ho³, Shu-Hua Lin^4,*, Kai-Jie Chen⁵, Angel Hii⁴

1 Center for Teacher Education, National Changhua University of Education, Changhua, 500207, Taiwan
2 Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, National Changhua University of Education, Changhua, 500207, Taiwan
3 Department of Electrical and Mechanical Technology, National Changhua University of Education, Changhua, 500208, Taiwan
4 Department of Guidance and Counseling, National Changhua University of Education, Changhua, 500207, Taiwan
5 Graduate Institute of Technology Management, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung City, 40227, Taiwan

* Corresponding Author: Shu-Hua Lin. Email:

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion 2025, 27(8), 1181-1202. https://doi.org/10.32604/ijmhp.2025.066515

Received 10 April 2025; Accepted 22 July 2025; Issue published 29 August 2025

Abstract

Background: Recent scholarly attention has increasingly focused on filial piety beliefs’ impact on youth’s psychological development. However, the mechanisms by which filial piety indirectly influences adolescent autonomy through depression and well-being remain underexplored. This study aimed to test a sequential mediation model among filial piety beliefs, depression, well-being, and autonomy in Taiwanese university students. Methods: A total of 566 Taiwanese undergraduate and graduate students, comprising 390 females and 176 males, and including 399 undergraduates and 167 graduate students, were recruited through convenience sampling. Data were collected via an online questionnaire. Validated instruments were employed, including the Filial Piety Scale (FPS), the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), the Chinese Well-being Inventory (CHI), and the Adolescent Autonomy Scale-Short Form (AAS-SF). Statistical analyses included group comparisons, correlation analyses, and structural equation modeling to examine the hypothesized relationships and mediation effects. Results: The results revealed that filial piety beliefs exerted a significant positive impact on adolescent autonomy, with depression and well-being serving as key mediators in this relationship. A sequential mediation effect was confirmed through structural equation modeling (β = 0.052, 95% CI [0.028, 0.091]), with good model fit indices (χ²/df = 4.25, RMSEA = 0.076, CFI = 0.968), supporting the hypothesized pathway from filial piety to autonomy via depression and well-being. In terms of demographic differences, male students showed significantly higher autonomy than females (p < 0.001); students from single-parent families reported significantly higher depression levels than those from two-parent families (p < 0.05); and graduate students exhibited significantly higher autonomy and well-being than undergraduates (p < 0.05). Conclusions: These findings underscore not only the importance of filial piety beliefs for developing youth autonomy but also the critical role that mental health factors, such as depression and well-being, play in this process. The study concludes with a discussion of both theoretical implications and practical recommendations. These include strategies to foster reciprocal filial piety, strengthen parent-child relationships, and promote mental health. Additionally, the study outlines its limitations and proposes directions for future research.

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Keywords

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