The influence of family structure on depression and anxiety symptoms in adolescents: the mediating role of emotional neglect.
10.7499/j.issn.1008-8830.2208058
- Author:
Xin-Xin HUANG
1
;
Yu-Ting LI
1
;
Jian-Hua CHEN
1
;
Jing-Jing MA
;
En-Zhao CONG
1
;
Yi-Feng XU
1
Author Information
1. Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine/National Medical Center for Mental Disorders, Shanghai 200030, China.
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Adolescent;
Anxiety;
Childhood trauma;
Depression;
Family structure
- MeSH:
Child;
Humans;
Adolescent;
Depression/epidemiology*;
Family Structure;
Child Abuse/psychology*;
China;
Anxiety/epidemiology*;
Surveys and Questionnaires
- From:
Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics
2023;25(1):80-85
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVES:To study the influence of family structure on depression and anxiety symptoms in adolescents and its mechanism.
METHODS:The cluster sampling method was used to select the students from seven middle schools in Shanghai, China. An online questionnaire survey was conducted using a self-made general status questionnaire, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Children's Depression Inventory, and Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders. The methods including one-way analysis of variance, chi-square test, binary logistic regression analysis, and mediating effect analysis were used to evaluate depression and anxiety symptoms in adolescents and the difference in childhood trauma and its mediating effect.
RESULTS:Compared with the adolescents from nuclear families, the adolescents from three-generation lineal families had a lower risk of depression symptoms (OR=0.794, 95%CI: 0.649-0.972, P<0.05), while those from host families had a higher risk of depression symptoms (OR=4.548, 95%CI: 1.113-18.580, P<0.05). The adolescents from inter-generational families and host families had a significantly higher score on the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire subscale of emotional neglect (P<0.05). Emotional neglect played a mediating role in the influence of inter-generational families and host families on depression symptoms in adolescents.
CONCLUSIONS:Parents and grandparents have a certain positive effect in family structures. Separation from parents may make adolescents perceive more emotional neglect, which may increase the occurrence of depression symptoms.
