title: The influence of parental care and overprotection, neuroticism and adult stressful life events on depressive symptoms in the general adult population.
abstract: The quality of parenting, neuroticism, and adult stressful life events are reportedly associated with depressive symptoms. However, previous studies have not examined the complex interaction between these three factors. In this study, we hypothesized that the quality of parenting (care and overprotection) acts on depressive symptoms through 'neuroticism' and the appraisal of adult stressful life events, and this hypothesis was verified by structural equation modeling.
  
  
  
  Four hundred one participants from the general adult population were studied using the following self-administered questionnaire surveys: Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI), neuroticism subscale of the short version of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-revised (EPQ-R), and Life Experiences Survey (LES). The data were analyzed with single and multiple regression analyses and covariance structure analyses.
  
  
  
  In the covariance structure analysis, neuroticism scores and negative change scores on the LES acted on the depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 scores) directly, but care or overprotection in childhood on the PBI did not act on them directly. Low care and high overprotection of the PBI increased depressive symptoms and negative change scores on the LES through enhanced neuroticism, which is regarded as a mediator in these effects.
  
  
  
  The subjects of this study were nonclinical volunteers; the findings might not be generalizable to psychiatric patients.
  
  
  
  This research showed that low care and high overprotection of maternal and paternal parenting in childhood influence depressive symptoms indirectly through enhanced neuroticism in general adults. These findings suggest that neuroticism mediates the long-term effect of the quality of parenting on depression in adulthood.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Medical University, 6-7-1, Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0023, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ono
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Medical University, 6-7-1, Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0023, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshikazu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takaesu
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, North 15, West 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan.
authors.forename: Yukiei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakai
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Medical University, 6-7-1, Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0023, Japan.
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ichiki
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Medical University, 6-7-1, Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0023, Japan.
authors.forename: Jiro
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Masuya
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, North 15, West 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan.
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kusumi
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Medical University, 6-7-1, Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0023, Japan. Electronic address: tinoue@tokyo-med.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Inoue
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000075384:Neuroticism; D009769:Object Attachment; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology*; D010290:Parents; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: Depression; Neuroticism; Quality of parenting; Structural equation model