A longitudinal investigation of the cross-dimensional mediating role of negative life events between neuroticism and depressive symptoms in adolescents

Neuroticism has been identified as a significant predictor for depression within the adolescent population However, few longitudinal studies have investigated this association and explored the mediation effect of the negative life events. This study aimed to examine the longitudinal association between neuroticism, negative life events, and depression in a large sample of Chinese adolescents. Data on Five Factor Inventory-Neuroticism Subscale (FFI-N) was collected from 1150 participants aged 14–19 years old at baseline, and data on Adolescent Life Event Questionnaire (ALEQ) and Center of Epidemiological Study-Depression (CES-D) were collected both at baseline and 6-month follow-up. Multilevel modelings were used to analyze the longitudinal associations among neuroticism, negative life events and depression. Through a longitudinal study design, results from multilevel regression analyses indicated a direct correlation between increased levels of neuroticism and the aggregation of negative life events with the prediction of more severe depressive symptoms. Further, results of multilevel mediations suggested that the negative life events served to partially mediate the relationship between neuroticism and each dimension of depression. The results cannot be used to make a clinical diagnosis. The current findings suggest the negative life events as a cross-dimensional mediator in the relationship between neuroticism and each dimension of depression. Regulating neuroticism levels and implementing strategies to coping stress derived from daily life events could be integral approaches to reducing the prevalence of depression within the adolescent population. •Neuroticism and negative life events positively predict depression.•Negative life events mediate the effect of neuroticism on all the dimensions of depression.•Negative life events may be the cross-dimensional mediator between neuroticism and each dimension of depression.