Domestic violence and depression among Chinese adolescents: The role of self-evaluation

Abstract

Background:

Depression of adolescents seriously affects their mental health as well as the formation and development of sound personality. According to Family Systems Theory, individuals’ mental health is closely related with external (e.g. domestic violence) and internal factor (e.g. self-evaluation). The formation mechanism of depression needs deep investigation in order to provide better educational intervention for students and promote their healthy development.

Aim:

The study examined the relationship among domestic violence, depression, and self-evaluation.

Methods:

The data were collected from 1,011 Chinese adolescents (M_age = 12.04 ± 1.71) by the questionnaire of Family Violence Scale, Depression Questionnaire, and Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale.

Results:

We found domestic violence and depression were significantly positively correlated (r = .25, p < .001); self-evaluation was significantly negatively correlated with domestic violence (r = −.26, p < .001) and depression (r = −.50, p < .001). Moreover, domestic violence could directly and positively predict depressed psychology, and could also indirectly predict depressed psychology through the mediating effect of self-evaluation.

Conclusion:

The level of depression of adolescents was closely related with domestic violence and self-evaluation. And self-evaluation played a mediating role between domestic violence and self-evaluation.