Youth-Family, Youth-School Relationship, and Depression.

This study sought to examine the association between adolescents' relationship with family and school and depressive symptoms across ethnic/racial groups (White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian), and to test potentially unique explanatory power in youth-family relationship versus youth-school relationship, in a sample of 4,783 adolescents. Depressive symptoms were assessed with a 19-item, modified Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D). The results indicated that youth-family relationship and youth-school relationship were significant predictors of adolescent depression. However, the findings of the study indicated that unique contributions by youth-family relationship and youth-school relationship were different by racial/ethnic groups. These findings elucidate protective factors for adolescent depression and highlight the importance of cultural context of each racial/ethnic group.