KMAN Publication Inc. (KMANPUB) Journal of Adolescent and Youth Psychological Studies (JAYPS) 2981-2526 In Press 2026 12 10 Structural Relationships Between Perceived Parenting Styles and Propensity for Addiction Among Upper Secondary School Students: The Mediating Roles of Mental Toughness and Self-Efficacy Structural Relationships Between Perceived Parenting Styles and Propensity for Addiction Among Upper Secondary School Students: The Mediating Roles of Mental Toughness and Self-Efficacy 1 17 EN Journal Article 2026 04 15 <table> <tbody> <tr> <td> <p><strong>Objective:</strong> This study aimed to examine the structural relationships between perceived parenting styles and propensity for addiction among upper secondary school students, with mental toughness and self-efficacy as mediating variables.</p> <p><strong>Methodology: </strong>This fundamental, descriptive-correlational study used structural equation modeling. The statistical population consisted of approximately 46,000 upper secondary school students in Qazvin County. Using multistage cluster random sampling, 260 students were selected from public and non-public schools; after excluding four incomplete or invariant-response questionnaires, data from 256 students were analyzed. Data were collected using the Grolnick Perceived Parenting Questionnaire, Iranian Addiction Potential Scale, Sherer General Self-Efficacy Scale, and 48-item Mental Toughness Questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficients, and structural equation modeling were performed using SPSS version 27 and AMOS version 30.</p> <p><strong>Findings:</strong> All dimensions of perceived parenting had significant negative direct effects on addiction propensity (β = −0.33 to −0.36, p &lt; .001) and significant positive direct effects on mental toughness (β = 0.31 to 0.37, p &lt; .001) and self-efficacy (β = 0.30 to 0.35, p &lt; .001). Mental toughness (β = −0.36, p &lt; .001) and self-efficacy (β = −0.34, p &lt; .001) significantly and negatively predicted addiction propensity. Bootstrap analysis showed significant negative indirect effects of all parenting dimensions through mental toughness (β = −0.11 to −0.13, p &lt; .001) and self-efficacy (β = −0.10 to −0.12, p &lt; .001). The model demonstrated good fit: χ²/df = 2.219, RMSEA = 0.047, CFI = 0.951, TLI = 0.938, and IFI = 0.952.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><strong>Conclusion:</strong> Supportive parenting characterized by involvement, autonomy support, and warmth may reduce students’ propensity for addiction both directly and indirectly by strengthening mental toughness and self-efficacy.</p> https://journals.kmanpub.com/index.php/jayps/article/download/5848/11196