The Labyrinth of Anxiety

This book examines parental educational anxiety in contemporary mainland China, offering a systematic analysis of its cultural roots, conceptual structure, formation mechanisms, and consequences. Through vivid case studies, the authors delve into three key aspects of educational anxiety: concerns about academic performance, the competitive environment, and parenting self-efficacy. They present a dynamic framework that illustrates how family practices, school expectations, and social competition interact to generate and amplify anxiety. The book also investigates the wide-reaching effects of this phenomenon, demonstrating how it disrupts family relationships and undermines psychological well-being. To address these challenges, the authors propose practical, integrated strategies aimed at reducing parental educational anxiety, offering actionable solutions for families, schools, and policymakers. Blending empirical evidence with an innovative analytical perspective, this volume is a valuable resource for scholars and practitioners in education, mental health, and family studies.

Linyuan Deng is Professor and PhD supervisor at the Faculty of Education, Beijing Normal University. Her research focuses on family-school partnership, family therapy, and the prevention and intervention of adolescent mental health problems. She has published over 100 articles in CSSCI and SSCI journals and co-edited several books. Yiwen Tang is a PhD student at the Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment for Basic Education Quality, Beijing Normal University. Her research focuses on family-school partnership and parental educational anxiety. She has published several CSSCI journal articles on parental educational anxiety. Jiayi Yang is a PhD student at the Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University. Her research interests include family education and adolescent mental health. She has published CSSCI journal articles on parental educational anxiety.

1 Cultural Roots of Modern Parenting Anxiety 2 The Silent Struggle: Understanding Parental Educational Anxiety 3 Anxiety in Motion: How Fear Takes Hold 4 The Ripple Effect: When Anxiety Becomes a Family Legacy 5 Breaking the Cycle: From Survival to Thriving