Parental Resilience and Adolescence Depression: Moderating Effect of Children's Psychosocial Functioning

Studies have shown a high prevalence of depression in adolescents. Researchers also found that psychosocial impairment is associated with depressive symptomatology in adolescence. It is now well established that parental psychopathology, mainly maternal depression, may be associated with a variety of maladaptive outcomes for children. The topic of resilience in parents, however, has been neglected. It is important to study the resilience in parents as a protective factor against the development of depressive symptomatology in children, and the variables that moderate and mediate this relationship. The main aims of this study are to examine the potential protective role of parents' resilience regarding the development of children's depressive symptoms and the moderating effect of children psychosocial functioning. The sample was composed by 130 adolescents aged between 14 and 17 years. Psychosocial functioning was assessed with the Adolescent Longitudinal Interval Follow-up Evaluation (A-LIFE, Keller et al., 1993; Portuguese version: Matos & Costa, 2011). To evaluate parental resilience, the Resilience Scale (RS25, Wagnild, 2009; Wagnild & Young, 1993; Portuguese version: Pinheiro & Matos, 2013) was used. Depressive symptoms were assessed with Children's Depression Inventory (CDI, Kovacs, 1985, 1992; Portuguese version: Marujo, 1994). The results suggest that parents' resilience and children's psychosocial functioning are associated with depressive symptoms in adolescents and that academic performance and life satisfaction moderate the relationship between parents' resilience and adolescents' depressive symptoms. This study may have important implications for the development of prevention programs of adolescent depression in order to promote interpersonal skills and problem solving abilities. (C) 2015 Published by Future Academy www.FutureAcademy.org.uk