Neighborhood deprivation and depressive symptoms in Chinese adolescents: Mediated by parenting styles and moderated by relative family status

• Published in: Journal of affective disorders 2023-11, Vol.341, p.17-25
• Main Authors: Ren, Wanting, Liang, Zurong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Chinese adolescents; Depressive symptoms; Neighborhood deprivation; Parental demandingness; Parental responsiveness; Relative family status
• ISSN: 0165-0327; 1573-2517
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.08.109

Previous research has shown that neighborhood and family have a crucial impact on adolescent mental health. However, limited research has been conducted on the intersection between neighborhood and family and the mechanisms behind its influence. This study investigates the direct and indirect associations between neighborhood deprivation and adolescent depressive symptoms through parental responsiveness and demandingness. The heterogeneity of neighborhood effects, varying across different relative family statuses, is also discussed. Using a sample (n = 6775) from the two waves of the China Education Panel Survey, this study used moderated mediation analysis to analyze simultaneously the mediation roles of parental responsiveness and demandingness and the moderating effect of relative family status. Neighborhood deprivation (W1) was positively associated with adolescent depressive symptoms (W2). Parental responsiveness (W2) rather than demandingness (W2) partially mediated the relationship between neighborhood deprivation and adolescent depression. Additionally, relative family status moderated the direct relationship between neighborhood deprivation and depression and the indirect relationship through parental responsiveness. First, Neighborhood deprivation in this study was self-reported. Second, relative family status was a single-item measure. Third, only family and neighborhood environments were discussed in this study. Finally, long-term changes in the mental health of adolescents in poor neighborhoods could not be captured in this study. The results highlight that neighborhood deprivation and relative family status can influence adolescent mental health individually and intersectively. This study also contributes to a more nuanced understanding of parenting styles in the Chinese context. •Neighborhood deprivation was positively associated with adolescent depression.•Parental responsiveness mediated the relationship between neighborhood deprivation and adolescent depression.•Adolescents with relatively lower family status were more likely to be negatively affected by poor neighborhood.