Lu Ma1, Liwang Gao1, Dorothy T Chiu2, Yixin Ding1, Weidong Wang3, Youfa Wang4. 1. Global Health Institute, School of Public Health, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China. 2. Community Health Sciences Division, School of Public Health, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA. 3. Department of Sociology, School of Sociology and Population Studies, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China. Electronic address: wwd@ruc.edu.cn. 4. Global Health Institute, School of Public Health, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China; Fisher Institute of Health and Well-Being, Department of Nutrition and Health Science, College of Health, Ball State University, Muncie, USA. Electronic address: youfawang@gmail.com.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: This study examined prevalence and change in depressive symptoms in Chinese adolescents, and roles of inter-parental (I-P) relationship and parent-child (P-C) relationships in its etiology and gender differences. METHODS: Survey data on depressive symptoms, I-P relationship, and indicators of P-C relationships were collected in China Education Panel Survey (2013-2015) from a nationally representative sample of adolescents (n=9,869) at 7th (at baseline), 8th and 9th (follow-up) grades. RESULTS: Prevalence of depressive symptoms was 17.9% in 7th graders and higher at 25.7% for 9th graders, more remarkably in girls. Better I-P relationship could reduce the risk of depressive symptoms among all (OR=0.53, 95%CI: 0.48, 0.58), girls (OR=0.61, 95%CI: 0.54, 0.69), and boys (OR=0.54, 95%CI: 0.49, 0.61). Greater mother-child (M-C) and father-child (F-C) closeness were protective of depressive symptoms in all and girls (ORs=0.94 to 0.96, p<0.01). More P-C interactions was associated with reduced risk of depressive symptoms among all (OR=0.91, 95%CI: 0.89, 0.93), boys (OR=0.91, 95%CI: 0.89, 0.94), and girls (OR=0.93, 95%CI: 0.91, 0.96). Better I-P relationship increased M-C closeness, F-C closeness, and P-C interactions, which in turn reduced depressive symptoms risk (indirect effects: β=-0.03, 95% CI: -0.04, -0.03). LIMITATIONS: The brief depressive inventory was only able to capture higher depressive symptoms, not clinical depression. CONCLUSIONS: Depressive symptoms are prevalent in Chinese adolescents with increases from early to middle adolescence. I-P and P-C relationships reduce depressive symptoms risk. P-C relationships mediated associations between I-P relationship and depressive symptoms. Future interventions may target these family factors to reduce depression among Chinese adolescents.
BACKGROUND: This study examined prevalence and change in depressive symptoms in Chinese adolescents, and roles of inter-parental (I-P) relationship and parent-child (P-C) relationships in its etiology and gender differences. METHODS: Survey data on depressive symptoms, I-P relationship, and indicators of P-C relationships were collected in China Education Panel Survey (2013-2015) from a nationally representative sample of adolescents (n=9,869) at 7th (at baseline), 8th and 9th (follow-up) grades. RESULTS: Prevalence of depressive symptoms was 17.9% in 7th graders and higher at 25.7% for 9th graders, more remarkably in girls. Better I-P relationship could reduce the risk of depressive symptoms among all (OR=0.53, 95%CI: 0.48, 0.58), girls (OR=0.61, 95%CI: 0.54, 0.69), and boys (OR=0.54, 95%CI: 0.49, 0.61). Greater mother-child (M-C) and father-child (F-C) closeness were protective of depressive symptoms in all and girls (ORs=0.94 to 0.96, p<0.01). More P-C interactions was associated with reduced risk of depressive symptoms among all (OR=0.91, 95%CI: 0.89, 0.93), boys (OR=0.91, 95%CI: 0.89, 0.94), and girls (OR=0.93, 95%CI: 0.91, 0.96). Better I-P relationship increased M-C closeness, F-C closeness, and P-C interactions, which in turn reduced depressive symptoms risk (indirect effects: β=-0.03, 95% CI: -0.04, -0.03). LIMITATIONS: The brief depressive inventory was only able to capture higher depressive symptoms, not clinical depression. CONCLUSIONS:Depressive symptoms are prevalent in Chinese adolescents with increases from early to middle adolescence. I-P and P-C relationships reduce depressive symptoms risk. P-C relationships mediated associations between I-P relationship and depressive symptoms. Future interventions may target these family factors to reduce depression among Chinese adolescents.
Authors: Yingying Jiang; Chan Lu; Jing Chen; Yufeng Miao; Yuguo Li; Qihong Deng Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2022-04-13 Impact factor: 4.614