The mediating effect of self-compassion between parent-child relationship and depression: an actor-partner interdependence analysis between adolescents and their parents
10.3760/cma.j.cn371468-20241212-00595
- VernacularTitle:自我同情在亲子关系与抑郁间的中介作用：青少年及其父母的主客体互倚分析
- Author:
Jiaxing SUN
1
;
Nengzhi JIANG
1
Author Information
1. 山东第二医科大学心理学院，潍坊 261053
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Depression;
Parent-child relationship;
Self-compassion;
Adolescent;
Parent;
Actor-partner interdependence model
- From:
Chinese Journal of Behavioral Medicine and Brain Science
2025;34(9):828-834
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective:To investigate the relationship between parent-child relationship and depression from a parent-adolescent dyadic perspective, as well as the mediating effect of self-compassion in their relationship.Methods:In May 2023, a total of 210 pairs of adolescents and their parents from two middle schools in Weifang, Shandong were tested with parent-child closeness scale (PCCS), self-compassion scale short form (SCSSF) and patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9). Descriptive statistics and correlation analysis were performed using SPSS 25.0 software. Mplus 8.3 software was used to test the mediating effect of self-compassion between parent-child relationship and depression by constructing actor-partner interdependence model and actor-partner interdependence mediation model.Results:(1) Adolescents' parent-child relationship (34.81±7.07) was positively correlated with adolescents' self-compassion (43.55±7.66), parental parent-child relationship (36.89±5.92), and parental self-compassion (44.30±6.41) ( r=0.427, 0.215, 0.178, all P<0.01), while negatively correlated with adolescents' depression (12.15±4.37) ( r=-0.375, P<0.05) and parental depression (11.87±4.07) ( r=-0.166, P<0.05). Adolescents' self-compassion was positively correlated with parental parent-child relationship and parental self-compassion ( r=0.179, 0.276, both P<0.01), while negatively correlated with adolescents' depression and parental depression ( r=-0.515, -0.194, both P<0.01). Adolescents' depression was negatively correlated with parental self-compassion ( r=-0.227, P<0.01), while positively correlated with parental depression ( r=0.147, P<0.05). Parental parent-child relationship was positively correlated with adolescents' self-compassion ( r=0.583, P<0.01). Parental depression was negatively correlated with parental parent-child relationship and parental self-compassion ( r=-0.342, -0.377, both P<0.01). (2)Actor-partner interdependence analysis between parent-child relationship and depression showed that adolescents' and parental parent-child relationship negatively predicted their own depression ( β=-0.396, -0.395, both P<0.001), and the actor effects were significant. Both adolescents' and parental parent-child relationship negatively predicted each other's depression ( β=-0.211, -0.223, both P<0.01), and the partner effects were significant. (3)The actor-partner interdependence mediating analysis of self-compassion between parent-child relationship and depression showed that self-compassion played a mediating effect between parent-child relationship and depression in both adolescents and their parents (effect value=-0.190, -0.052, -0.256, -0.019), accounting for 49.48% (-0.190/-0.384), 13.54% (-0.052/-0.384), 61.54% (-0.256/-0.416) and 4.57% (-0.019/-0.416) of the total effect, respectively, which indicated that the actor mediating effects of adolescents and their parents were both significant. Adolescents' and parental self-compassion played mediating effects between adolescents' parent-child relationship and parental depression (effect value=-0.072, -0.067), accounting for 35.29% (-0.072/-0.204) and 32.84% (-0.067/-0.204) of the total effect. Similarly, adolescents' and parental self-compassion played mediating effects between parental parent-child relationship and adolescents' depression (effect value=-0.050, -0.200), accounting for 17.48% (-0.050/-0.286) and 69.93% (-0.200/-0.286) of the total effect, which indicated significant partner mediating effects were both significant. Conclusion:The parent-child relationship of both adolescents and their parents can not only directly influence the depression levels of both parties, but can also indirectly influence depression through the self-compassion of both the adolescents and their parents.
