Childhood Parental Emotions and Depression Among Middle-Aged and Elderly Chinese: The Mediating Role of Adverse Childhood School Neighborhood Friendship Experiences

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to investigate the potential mediation effect of adverse childhood school neighborhood friendship experiences (ACSNFEs) in the relationship between childhood parental emotions and depressive symptoms.

Methods: The study extracted data from 9489 participants from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) of 2014 and 2020. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the 10-item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D-10). Stepwise regression based on least squares regression models, bootstrap tests, and Karlson–Holm–Breen (KHB)-based logit regression models were applied to analyze.

Results: Negative childhood parental emotions (β = 0.2030 and p < 0.001), negative childhood mother’s emotions (β = 0.3399 and p < 0.001), and negative childhood father’s emotions (β = 0.3866 and p < 0.001) were all significantly associated with higher severity of depressive symptoms. Bootstrap tests showed that the proportion of ACSNFEs mediated for childhood parental emotions was 14.03%. For childhood mother’s emotions and childhood father’s emotions, the mediating proportions were 15.32% and 13.57%, respectively. Moreover, KHB tests showed that the mediating effect still existed.

Conclusions: The association between childhood parental emotions and depressive symptoms was partly mediated by ACSNFEs. Focus on developing parental emotional management ability, actively guiding parents to help children develop high-quality friendships, and promoting the development of psychological health.