Multilevel analysis of personality, family, and classroom influences on emotional and behavioral problems among Chinese adolescent students

Background The classroom environment plays a potentially important role in shaping the emotions and behavior of adolescents. However, few studies have focused on this factor. The aim of this study was to explore the association between the classroom environment and emotional and behavioral problems among Chinese adolescents while also considering personality and family-related factors. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in November and December, 2009. A set of questionnaires, including the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ), the Family Environment Scale (FES), the Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI), and the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D), were distributed to participants. A total of 5,433 Chinese adolescent students (aged 9-18) and 244 classroom teachers in Liaoning Province were ultimately included in the study. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to explore the factors associated with emotional and behavioral problems. Results Multilevel analyses revealed that adolescent emotional and behavioral problems significantly varied among classrooms. Although personality and family characteristics exerted the greatest influence on adolescents' emotions and behavior at the individual-level, interactions between classroom teachers and students increasingly affected adolescents with respect to age at the class-level. A mild positive association was found between adolescents' mental health problems and the mental health of teachers. Conclusion This study focused on the classroom environment in order to understand Chinese adolescent mental health problems, the findings of which highlight important implications for policy makers and educators. The results underscore the importance of establishing a comfortable classroom climate by improving teacher-student interactions and meeting specific needs at different school stages, thus promoting a climate of positive mental health among Chinese adolescents.