Depressive symptoms of school-aged adolescents: cumulative effect of adverse events and mediation of social support.

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the effect of cumulative adverse childhood experiences and depressive symptoms on adolescence and to identify direct and indirect relationships between the variables and the mediating role of social support.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study with a sample of 1,117 school-aged adolescents aged 13 to 19 years. The Children's Depression Inventory and Adverse Childhood Experiences scales were used, organized into socioeconomic, family, community, and total dimensions. Descriptive analysis was carried out and the structural equation model was used, with probit estimation, applying social support as mediator.

Results: The prevalence of depressive symptoms among school-aged adolescents was 8.2%. We observed that the accumulation of socioeconomic, family, and community factors increases the occurrence of depressive symptoms, adjusted for sex, skin color, and social support. Mediation by social support explains 16.7% of the total effect of exposure to the analyzed factors. In the socioeconomic dimension, the depression probit increases by 0.033 for each category, with 21.2% mediated by social support. In the family dimension, the increase is 0.020 (25% mediated); in the community, 0.018 (16.7% mediated); and in the total dimension, 0.012 (17% mediated).

Conclusion: The observation of the effect of the accumulation of Adverse Childhood Experiences on depressive symptoms in adolescence requires actions in vulnerable groups, with social support helping to mitigate the risk of depression.