title: Family and College Environmental Exposures Mediate the Relationship between Parental Education and Depression among College Students.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Depression is a major health concern for college students due to its substantial morbidity and mortality. Although low parental education has been identified as a factor in depression in college students, the mechanisms through which parental educational achievement affects students' depression are not well understood. We tested whether adverse family and college environments mediate the relationship between parental educational level and depression among Chinese college students.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 5180 respondents were selected using a cross-sectional survey. We examined the association of parental education, adverse family and college environments with depression in college students using the Adolescent Self-Rating Life Events Checklist, Beck Depression Inventory and socio-demographic questionnaires.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Lower parental educational level is significantly correlated with depression in college students in our sample. Additionally, low family economic status, paternal or maternal unemployment, long periods spent apart from family, family conflicts, having been scolded and beaten by parents, poor or dissatisfying test performance, conflict with friends, heavy course load and failure in selection processes are also associated with parental education. Low family economic status, paternal or maternal unemployment, long periods spent apart from family, family conflicts, poor or dissatisfying test performance, conflict with friends and heavy course load mediated the relationship between parental education and depression in college students.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adverse family and college environments could explain the influence of parental educational level on depression in college students.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Psychology, Public Health Institute of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhai
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Psychology, Public Health Institute of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Yanjie
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Hailian
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou, China.
authors.forename: Jincai
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Psychology, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
authors.forename: Xiongzhao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Public Health Institute of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sui
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Psychology, Public Health Institute of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Wenbo
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Psychology, Public Health Institute of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Xiaohui
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Psychology, Public Health Institute of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Zhengxue
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Qiao
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Psychology, Public Health Institute of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Xiuxian
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Psychology, Public Health Institute of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Jiarun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Psychology, Public Health Institute of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Yunmiao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical College, Shandong, China.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ban
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Psychology, Public Health Institute of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Changzhi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004522:Educational Status; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*