Enzhao Cong*, Yue Li, Yingyan Zhong, Xinxin Huang, Yuting Li, Jianhua Chen, Hao Yao and Yifeng Xu
Background: Parental marital status is an important risk factor for adolescent depression. A poor relationship between parents leads to a poor family atmosphere, which increases the risk of childhood trauma. This study aims to explore the mediating role of emotional abuse and neglect in the effect of parental marital status on depressive symptoms of adolescents, especially in divorced, widowed, and reorganized families.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 4576 students from 7 middle schools (Grades 6 to 9) through online questionnaires from April to May 2021 in Shanghai, China. Questionnaires included the self-designed general situation questionnaire, childhood trauma questionnaire-short form and childhood depression inventory, which were used to measure demographic variables, childhood trauma and depressive symptoms of adolescents respectively.
Results: The depressive symptoms of adolescents whose parents were in stable marriages were significantly lower than those whose parents were divorced or widowed (t=3.98, p<0.01) and reorganized families (t=4.67, p<0.01). Emotional abuse (β=0.39, p<0.01), emotional neglect (β=0.28, p<0.01), physical neglect (β=0.06, p<0.01), and parental marital status of reorganization (β=0.03, p=0.03) had significant positive predictive effects on depressive symptoms in adolescents. The mediating effects of emotional abuse and emotional neglect between parental marital status (divorced or widowed and reconstituted) on adolescent depressive symptoms were significant.
Conclusion: Therefore, a stable marriage of parents is conducive to the development of adolescents’ physical and mental health. Emotional abuse and neglect tend to occur in divorced or widowed families and reorganized families. These findings are important for sociological intervention in adolescent depression.
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Abnormal and Behavioural Psychology received 361 citations as per Google Scholar report
