Effects of Communication with Parents, Teacher Attachment, and School Attachment on Depression in Middle School Students: The Mediating Effect of Self-Esteem

Objectives This study aimed to examine the effects of communication with parents, teacher attachment, and school attachment on depression in middle school students and the mediating effects of self-esteem on the relationships between them. Methods For this purpose, 431 middle school students (185 males and 246 females) were surveyed, and multivariate outliers were tested using SPSS, and mediation effects were tested using structural equation model analysis using LISREL. Results Communication with parents had no direct effect on depression and only an indirect negative effect through self-esteem. School attachment had a direct negative effect on depression and an indirect negative effect through self-esteem. Finally, teacher attachment had no significant effect on depression and self-esteem. Conclusions Based on these findings, the significance of this study, counseling strategies, and implications for preventing depression in middle school students were discussed, and suggestions were made for further research.