The Effects of Family and School Interpersonal Relationships on Depression in Chinese Elementary School Children: The Mediating Role of Academic Stress and the Moderating Role of Self-Esteem

Abstract

This study explores the relative contributions and psychological mechanisms of the effects of family (father–child and mother–child) and school (teacher–student and student–student) interpersonal relationships on depression in elementary school children. The participants (n = 20,629) were elementary school children (48.19% male) aged nine to 13 years from Southwest China during the COVID-19 pandemic. They voluntarily completed questionnaires regarding parent–child, teacher–student, and student–student relationships, as well as academic stress and self-esteem. The results indicate that the effect of family interpersonal relationships on children’s depression was stronger than that of school interpersonal relationships. The predictive effects of father–child and mother–child relationships on children’s depression did not significantly differ; however, the effect of student–student relationships was significantly stronger than that of teacher–student relationships. Academic stress partially mediated the effect of interpersonal relationships on depression in elementary school children. The effects of family interpersonal relationships and academic stress on depression were moderated by self-esteem. These findings underscore the disparities and mechanisms pertaining to the impacts of diverse interpersonal associations on children’s depression, thus signifying significant implications for the advancement of research and intervention strategies aimed at addressing this issue.