The Effect of Daily Stress on Depression in Chinese Adolescents: A Moderated Mediation Model

Abstract

We explored the effects and mechanisms of daily perceived stress on depression among Chinese adolescents. Participants were 1,153 junior high school students who completed The Adolescent Self-Rating Life Events Checklist, the Positive and Negative Affect Scale-Children, the Socioeconomic Status Scale, the Emotional Control Scale, and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Results showed that daily stress was positively related to depression, and emotional balance partially mediated this relationship. The relationship between emotional balance and depression was moderated by emotional control and socioeconomic status, such that the impact of emotional balance on depression was stronger for adolescents with low emotional control and high socioeconomic status. We have revealed the behavioral mechanism underlying the association between daily stress and depression, enriching the literature on youth positive development. For those working with adolescents, to prevent depression the focus should be on maintaining daily emotional balance by improving emotional control, while paying attention to the emotional problems of adolescents with low socioeconomic status.