Family Socioeconomic Status and Adolescent Depressive Symptoms: A Moderated Mediation Model

Low family socioeconomic status (SES) is linked with adolescents’ symptoms of depression, but little is known about the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying this association. Based on ecosystem theory and the organism-environment interaction model, we tested whether emotional resilience mediated the relationship between family SES and depressive symptoms, and whether parent–child relationship quality moderated the relationship. Adolescents ( N = 724) from one middle school in central China completed self-reported questionnaires regarding demographic variables, family SES, emotional resilience, parent–child relationship quality, and depressive symptoms. Regression-based mediation analysis indicated that emotional resilience mediated the association between family SES and depressive symptoms. Parent–child relationship quality moderated two components of this mediation process, namely the effects of low SES on both emotional resilience and depressive symptoms. In both cases, a high quality parent–child relationship ameliorated the adverse effects of low family SES. That is, adolescents with a higher quality relationship with their parent appeared to be less affected by low family SES. The study reveals how and when family SES may affect adolescents’ depressive symptoms, and highlights the protective effect of a high quality parent–child relationship in a low SES environment. Highlights Low family SES was associated with adolescents’ depressive symptoms. Low family SES as a risk environment may hinder emotional resilience, increasing the risk for depression. A high quality parent–child relationship can buffer adolescents from the effects of low SES on depression. More attention should be paid to protective factors for positive youth development (PYD) in low SES environments.