Impact of home chaos on children's internalizing and externalizing behaviors

XUE Yanqi; XIE Xiaoyan; XU Fengjiao

doi:10.11852/zgetbjzz2025-0971

PDF(674 KB)

Chinese Journal of Child Health Care ›› 2026, Vol. 34 ›› Issue (9) : 1041-1045. DOI: 10.11852/zgetbjzz2025-0971

Review

Impact of home chaos on children's internalizing and externalizing behaviors

XUE Yanqi, XIE Xiaoyan, XU Fengjiao

Author information +

History +

Abstract

As the core sub-dimension of the family environment, home chaos includes multi-dimensional structural concepts such as high physical noise, dense living, and unstable living. This review traces the evolution of the home chaos concept and its measurement tools, and examines in detail its impact on internalizing and externalizing problems in children. These issues include anxiety and depression as internalizing problems, as well as aggressive behavior and sleep difficulties as externalizing problems. This review also discusses the limitations of existing studies, with the aim of providing evidence to inform the optimization of child-rearing environments and the development of intervention strategies by families, schools, and governments, while offering directions for future longitudinal and multidimensional research.

Key words

children / home chaos / internalizing problems / externalizing problems / mental health

Cite this article

EndNote

Ris (Procite)

Bibtex

Download Citations

XUE Yanqi, XIE Xiaoyan, XU Fengjiao. Impact of home chaos on children's internalizing and externalizing behaviors[J]. Chinese Journal of Child Health Care. 2026, 34(9): 1041-1045 https://doi.org/10.11852/zgetbjzz2025-0971

References

[1] 边玉芳, 梁丽婵, 张颖. 充分重视家庭对儿童心理发展的重要作用[J]. 北京师范大学学报(社会科学版), 2016, 61(5): 46-54.
Bian YF, Liang LC, Zhang Y.Effects of family on children's mental development[J]. J Beijing Norm Univ(Soc Sci), 2016, 61(5): 46-54.(in Chinese)
[2] 国家卫生健康委办公厅,全国爱卫办, 民政部办公厅, 等. 关于全面开展健康家庭建设的通知[EB/OL]. (2024-01-02)[2025-06-07]. https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/202401/content_6927249.htm.
[3] 中华人民共和国生态环境部.中国噪声污染防治报告(2024年)[R]. 北京:生态环境部, 2024, 1-68.
[4] Hart SA, Petrill SA, Deater Deckard K, et al. SES and CHAOS as environmental mediators of cognitive ability: A longitudinal genetic analysis[J]. Intelligence, 2007, 35(3): 233-242.
[5] Cai Z, Meng Q. Household chaos, emotion regulation and social adjustment in preschool children[J]. Sci Rep, 2024, 14(1): 28875.
[6] 闫珍珍, 郭祎, 岳亚平. 家庭嘈杂度与幼儿问题行为的关系研究[J]. 早期教育, 2024,42(20): 51-56.
[7] 常淑敏, 宋育珊, 郭惠.家庭环境纷杂度对流动儿童安全感的影响: 儿童性别的调节作用[J]. 中国特殊教育, 2016, 23(4): 66-70, 78.
Chang SM, Song YS, Guo H. Home chaos and migrant children's security: The moderating effect of gender[J]. Chin J Spec Educ, 2016, 23(4):66-70, 78.(in Chinese)
[8] 邢晓沛, 聂倩倩, 张轶男.夫妻执行功能、家庭混乱与婚姻质量的关系[J]. 中国临床心理学杂志, 2018, 26(1): 100-104.
Xing XP, Nie QQ, Zhang YN.Relationship among executive function, family chaos and marital quality in couples[J]. Chin J Clin Psychol, 2018, 26(1): 100-104.(in Chinese)
[9] Evans GW, Lepore SJ, Shejwal BR, et al. Chronic residential crowding and children's well-being:An ecological perspective[J]. Child Dev, 1998, 69(6): 1514-1523.
[10] Evans GW, Wachs TD. Chaos and its influence on children's development: An ecological perspective[M]. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2010.
[11] Liu Q, Zhang Y, Razza RA. Reciprocal relationships among household chaos, parenting stress, and children's behavioral self-regulation from early to middle childhood[J]. Fam Process, 2025, 64(2): e70053.
[12] Matheny AP, Wachs TD, Ludwig JL, et al.Bringing order out of chaos: Psychometric Characteristics of the Confusion, Hubbub, and Order Scale[J]. J Appl Dev Psychol, 1995, 16(3): 429-444.
[13] Larsen SA, Asbury K, Coventry WL, et al.Measuring CHAOS? Evaluating the short-form Confusion, Hubbub and Order Scale[J]. Collabra Psychol, 2023, 9(1): 77837.
[14] Acet P, Midouhas E, Oliver BR. Household chaos and child problem behaviors: A cross-cultural examination of the mediating and moderating role of mindful parenting[J]. J Res Adolesc, 2024, 34(3): 884-896.
[15] Emond JA. Household chaos: A risk factor for adverse child outcomes gains attention in public health[J]. BMC Public Health, 2020, 20(1): 596.
[16] Andeweg SM, Bodrij FF, Prevoo MJL, et al. Household chaos and parenting: The effect of household chaos does not depend on sensory-processing sensitivity and self-regulation[J]. Infant Ment Health J, 2024, 45(2): 165-184.
[17] Navarro JM, Pita A. Machine learning prediction of the long-term environmental acoustic pattern of a city location using short-term sound pressure level measurements[J]. Appl Sci, 2023, 13(3): 1613.
[18] Haselhoff T, Braun T, Hornberg J, et al. Analysing interlinked frequency dynamics of the urban acoustic environment[J]. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2022, 19(22): 15014.
[19] Hunter-Rue DS, Miller P, Hanson JL, et al. Relations between adolescent perceptions of household chaos and externalizing and internalizing behaviors in low- and middle-income families[J]. J Res Adolesc, 2024, 34(4): 1500-1516.
[20] Stokols D. A social-psychological model of human crowding phenomena[J]. J Am Inst Plan, 1972, 38(2): 72-83.
[21] Tarullo AR, Tuladhar CT, Kao K, et al. Cortisol and socioeconomic status in early childhood: A multidimensional assessment[J]. Dev Psychopathol, 2020, 32(5): 1876-1887.
[22] 武艳冉, 骆宏.环境应激对青少年抑郁影响的研究讲展[J]. 中国儿童保健杂志, 2022, 30(5): 521-525.
Wu YR, Luo H. Research progress on the effect of stress on adolescent depression[J]. Chin J Child Health Care, 2022, 30(5): 521-525.(in Chinese)
[23] 周凤娟, 邱琇. 婴幼儿社交退缩的研究及进展[J]. 中国儿童保健杂志, 2015, 23(6): 599-600, 603.
[24] 李丹丹, 董会芹, 李雅琪. 家庭嘈杂度与学前儿童社交退缩: 有调节的中介模型[J]. 中国临床心理学杂志, 2023, 31(5): 1220-1224.
Li DD, Dong HQ, Li YQ.Household chaos and preschool children's social withdrawal: A moderated-mediation model[J]. Chin J Clin Psychol, 2023, 31(5): 1220-1224.(in Chinese)
[25] Goff B, Tottenham N. Early-life adversity and adolescent depression: Mechanisms involving the ventral striatum[J]. CNS Spectr, 2015, 20(4): 337-345.
[26] 李曦, 纪林芹, 迟晓慧, 等.多巴胺系统基因调节青少年同伴拒绝与亲社会行为关系: 平行潜增长模型[J]. 心理学报, 2025, 57(4): 584-598.
Li X, Ji LQ, Chi XH, et al.Dopaminergic genes moderated the association between peer rejection and adolescents' prosocial behavior: Parallel latent growth modeling analyses[J]. Acta Psychol Sin, 2025, 57(4): 584-598.(in Chinese)
[27] von dem Knesebeck O, Lehmann M, Löwe B, et al. Causal attributions for somatic symptom disorder[J]. J Psychosom Res, 2020, 129: 109910.
[28] Liu WZ, Zhang WH, Zheng ZH, et al. Identification of a prefrontal cortex-to-amygdala pathway for chronic stress-induced anxiety[J]. Nat Commun, 2020, 11(1): 2221.
[29] Rose JR, Martin MJ, Trejos-Castillo E, et al. Longitudinal pathways of maltreated young children: Family stress processes and adverse childhood experiences[J]. J Fam Psychol, 2024, 38(2): 309-319.
[30] Jonassaint CR, Ashley-Koch A, Whitfield KE, et al. The serotonin transporter gene polymorphism (5HTTLPR) moderates the effect of adolescent environmental conditions on self-esteem in young adulthood: A structural equation modeling approach[J]. Biol Psychol, 2012, 91(1): 111-119.
[31] 董会芹, 李小婷, 崔珊, 等. 家庭嘈杂度对幼儿攻击性行为的影响: 母亲消极归因和心理攻击的链式中介作用[J]. 中国临床心理学杂志, 2023,31(4): 960-965.
Dong HQ, Li XT, Cui S, et al.The effect of family chaos on children's aggressive behaviors: The chain mediating role of mothers' psychological aggression and negative attributions[J]. Chin J Clin Psychol, 2023, 31(4): 960-965.(in Chinese)
[32] Hong Y, McCormick SA, Deater-Deckard K, et al. Household chaos, parental responses to emotion, and child emotion regulation in middle childhood[J]. Soc Dev, 2021, 30(3): 786-805.
[33] Bou Nassif J, Felthous AR. Mapping the neurocircuitry of impulsive aggression through the pharmacologic review of anti-impulsive aggressive agents[J]. J Forensic Sci, 2022, 67(3): 844-853.
[34] 赫子凡, 赵思婕. 家庭嘈杂度与3～6岁幼儿攻击性行为的关系[J]. 中华家教, 2022(3): 41-49.
He ZF, Zhao SJ.Relationship between home chaos and aggressive behaviors in children aged 3 - 6 years[J]. Fam Educ China, 2022(3): 41-49.(in Chinese)
[35] 何海燕, 王睿, 宁曼, 等. 家庭环境因素和父母教养方式对学龄前儿童睡眠行为的影响[J]. 中国儿童保健杂志, 2021, 29(9): 996-999, 1025.
He HY, Wang R, Ning M, et al. Effects of family environment and parental rearing styles on sleep behaviors of preschool children[J]. Chin J Child Health Care, 2021, 29(9): 996-999, 1025.(in Chinese)
[36] Daiber A, Frenis K, Kuntic M, et al. Redox regulatory changes of circadian rhythm by the environmental risk factors traffic noise and air pollution[J]. Antioxid Redox Signal, 2022, 37(10-12): 679-703.
[37] Liu J, Ghastine L, Um P, et al. Environmental exposures and sleep outcomes: A review of evidence, potential mechanisms, and implications[J]. Environ Res, 2021, 196: 110406.
[38] 叶孙岳, 王海棠. 学龄前儿童园外户外活动、视屏时间及睡眠时长影响因素的随访研究[J]. 中国儿童保健杂志, 2023, 31(8): 836-840.
Ye SY, Wang HT. Follow-up study on the modifiable predictors for outdoor after-school activities, screen time and sleep duration in Chinese preschoolers[J]. Chin J Child Health Care, 2023, 31(8): 836-840.(in Chinese)
[39] Grace SM, Barr-Anderson DJ, Fulkerson JA. Exploring associations of household chaos and child health behaviors in rural families[J]. Am J Health Behav, 2022, 46(1): 49-59.
[40] Chen Y, Gu Q, Zheng Q, et al. How parental mediation affects adolescents' problematic smartphone use: The chain mediating role of basic psychological needs and positive outcome expectations[J]. Front Psychol, 2025, 16: 1590057.
[41] White MJ, Southwood F.Is home environment predictive of early grammar development?[J]. J Child Lang, 2026, 53(1): 108-131.