Objective To investigate the situation of parent-child communication of university students during the COVID-19 pandemic, and analyze the characteristics of parent-child relations and the effects on psychological health. Methods University students from Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai were enrolled as survey subjects. An online questionnaire survey that concluded a self-compiled parent-child relations scale and the depression anxiety stress scale（DASS-21）was distributed to evaluate parent-child relations and psychological stress of university students, respectively. Results Among the 317 students surveyed, 30（9 . 46%）reported depression, 41（12.93%）reported anxiety, and 17（5.36%）reported stress. The communication between the students and their parents can be related to their gender, their parents’ work status and education level. The fathers’ absence and parent-child communication initiated by the fathers were independent risk factors for university students’ psychological stress and negative emotions. Parent-child communication including current social affairs was a protective factor. Conclusion During the COVID-19 pandemic, parent-child relations can influence the level of university students’ psychological health. Focus on cultivating good parent-child relationship is needed to prevent the increase of students’ psychological stress.