Objectives: Considering the Western-Eastern cultural differences in parenting practices, as well as the relative paucity of research on the use of mindfulness-based programs by Chinese parents, we replicated a recently proposed Western model of mindfulness. The purpose of this study was to test the direct and indirect relations between parents’ dispositional mindfulness, mindful parenting, parenting practices, and child internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Method: A total of 2237 Chinses parents (M = 38.46, SD = 4.43) of 6- to 12-year-old children participated in the current study. Results: The results showed that parents’ dispositional mindfulness was indirectly associated with child internalizing and externalizing behaviors through mindful parenting and positive parenting practices, whereas this pathway was not significant through negative parenting practices. In addition, mothers and fathers demonstrated almost equal effects on direct and indirect pathways except that mothers showed stronger effects on the relationships between dispositional mindfulness and mindful parenting, as well as on the link between negative parenting practices and child externalizing behaviors. Conclusions: These findings contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying how mindfulness and parenting associated with child internalizing and externalizing behaviors, and have important implications for research on interventions aimed at promoting children’s psychological well-being.

Research has shown that support for families with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the United States has led to reduce parental stress. To better understand the situation in China, it is crucial to evaluate the current status of family support and provide clear evidence of the impact of family support on positive family outcomes. This study aims to provide initial evidence to examine these interrelations among family support, parental stress, and family quality of life in mainland China. A total of 226 parents of children with ASD completed two questionnaires (Beach Center Family Quality of Life (FQOL) Scale and the Family Support Scale for Chinese Children with ASD) and a demographic family information form. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the interrelation among parental stress, family support, and FQOL. Parents perceived a moderate to low level of family support and FQOL and high level of parental stress. Family support had a direct positive effect on FQOL (β = .54) and an indirect effect on FQOL through parental stress (β = .06). Resources should be devoted to establishing a family support system that promotes FQOL and buffers parental stress for families of children with ASD.