Association between parents' value of children and adolescent depression in China: a multi-informant study.

BACKGROUND

Parents' value of children (VOC) is a related implicit belief toward their children that may predict adolescents' mental health. However, empirical studies are scarce about this relationship. This study investigates the relationship between parents' VOC and adolescent depression, as well as the underlying mechanisms.

METHODS

We conducted a multi-informant survey and developed a latent moderated mediation structural equation model of adolescent depression outcome of parents' VOC. A total of 963 Chinese adolescents and their parents were recruited and examined. The parents completed the parents' VOC scale and the adolescents responded to the scales of emotional warmth and rejection, external locus of control (LOC), and depression.

RESULTS

Parents' social and psychological VOC exerted a positive and negative direct effect respectively, on adolescent depression. Parents' social VOC positively predicts adolescent depression through parental emotional warmth, rejection, and external LOC. Parents' psychological VOC negatively predicts adolescent depression through emotional warmth and rejection. The indirect effects of parents' social VOC on adolescent depression through emotional warmth and rejection were moderated by sex.

CONCLUSIONS

The two aspects of parents' VOC exerted indirect effects on adolescent depression through emotional warmth and rejection or external LOC. The indirect effects of parents' social VOC on adolescent depression were more evident among women than men. Our study extends the theoretical research framework of parents' VOC to adolescent mental health.