Reciprocal relationships between depressive symptoms and peer attachment in Chinese adolescents: The influence of early parental harsh discipline

Background: Despite high social acceptance and prevalence of harsh discipline in China, its longterm cascading effects on adolescent emotional/interpersonal challenges remain unclear. Objective: This study examined whether peer attachment and depressive symptoms would be reciprocally related over time and how early harsh discipline influences these dynamics. Participant and setting: Data was drawn from a longitudinal study over a 9-year period. Parental harsh discipline was reported by both parents at Grade 1-3 (N = 403), and depressive symptoms and peer attachment were reported by adolescents at Grade 7-9 (N = 651). Methods: The random intercept cross-lagged panel model was used to assess the reciprocal association between adolescents' depressive symptoms and peer attachment. Furthermore, the predictive effects of early parental harsh discipline were examined. Results: There was a significant association between adolescents' depressive symptoms and peer attachment at between-person level, and these two constructs were also predicted each other at within-person level expected for the path from peer attachment at Grade 7 to depressive symptoms at Grade 8. Paternal but not maternal early harsh discipline from Grade 1 to Grade 3 could drive the dynamic within-person relations between adolescents' depressive symptoms and peer attachment. Conclusions: These findings reveal the antecedent or concurrent factors and their processes that account for early adolescents' depressive symptoms. Intervention targeted at reducing early parental harsh discipline and improving peer relationship quality may be beneficial for alleviating adolescents' depressive symptoms.