title: A pilot study of self-esteem as a mediator between family factors and depressive symptoms in young adult university students.
abstract: The aim of this study was to examine whether self-esteem mediates the relationship between family factors and depressive symptoms in young adults. Participants completed self-report questionnaires about overall family environment, conflict with mother or father, parental rearing, self esteem, and depressive symptoms. Self-esteem was found to mediate the relationship between the combined family factors and depressive symptoms. When examined simultaneously, none of the individual family variables uniquely predicted depressive symptoms or self-esteem. However, separate analysis of each of the three family factors provided evidence for self-esteem mediating the relationship between parental conflict and depressive symptoms, and the relationship between parental care and depressive symptoms. Self-esteem may play a role in the mechanism underlying the link between parent-offspring relationship factors and depressive symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychological Science, University of Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands. k.restifo@dmkep.unimaas.nl
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Restifo
authors.forename: Joyce
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Akse
authors.forename: Natalie Valle
authors.initials: NV
authors.lastname: Guzman
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Benjamins
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dick
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D054541:Family Conflict / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009769:Object Attachment; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011594:Psychometrics; D012307:Risk Factors; D012649:Self Concept; D012931:Social Environment; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult