The impact of neighborhood environment on adolescent anxiety and depression: A moderated mediation model involving screen time and family function

Objective

While the relationship between neighborhood environment and adolescent mental health is well-documented, few studies have examined the roles of screen time and family function in this association. This study aims to explore the “environment-behavior-health” pathway by investigating how neighborhood environment, screen time, and family function jointly influence adolescent anxiety and depression.

Method

Data were drawn from a large-scale, two-wave survey of 5th–12th grade Chinese adolescents. A moderated mediation model was constructed to examine whether screen time mediates the relationship between neighborhood environment and adolescent anxiety and depression, and whether this indirect effect is moderated by family function.

Results

The final sample included 8961 Chinese adolescents. Neighborhood environment was negatively associated with adolescents' screen time (b = −0.513, p < 0.001), anxiety (b = −0.984, p < 0.001) and depression (b = −1.357, p < 0.001). Screen time partially mediated the effects of neighborhood environment on anxiety (b = −0.048, 95 % CI [−0.075, −0.025]) and depression (b = −0.068, 95 % CI [−0.102, −0.039]). Moreover, family function significantly moderated the association of neighborhood environment with anxiety (b = −0.441, p < 0.01) and depression (b = −0.401, p < 0.05), as well as the association of screen time with anxiety (b = −0.055, p < 0.01) and depression (b = −0.051, p < 0.05).

Conclusion

These findings extend the “environment-behavior-health” framework and highlight the need for multi-level strategies to support adolescent mental health.