The relationship between childhood abuse and depression among adolescents: The mediating role of school connectedness and psychological resilience

Background: Adolescent depression is a major public health concern worldwide, and depressive symptoms among adolescents in Chinese secondary school increase with grade. Although numerous studies noted that childhood abuse was associated with the development of depression in adolescents, the underlying mediators involved in this pathway remain unclear. Therefore, our study aims to explore whether psychological resilience and school connectedness mediate the association between childhood abuse and depression among Chinese adolescents. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out among 1607 adolescents at four high schools located in Henan Province, Central China. Structural equation modeling was performed to determine whether psychological resilience and school connectedness mediate the influence of childhood abuse on depression. Results: Findings revealed that childhood abuse was directly (β = 0.410, p < 0.001) and indirectly (β = 0.141, p < 0.001) related to depression. Specifically, psychological resilience (β = 0.018, p = 0.009), school connectedness (β = 0.087, p < 0.001), and school connectedness together with psychological resilience (β = 0.036, p < 0.001) partially mediated the relationship between childhood abuse and depression. Conclusions: The detrimental impact of childhood abuse on adolescents' depression may be reduced by fostering psychological resilience and school connectedness.