A Verification of the Mediating Effect of Depression on the Structural Relationship between Ego Differentiation and Interpersonal Relationships in Elementary Pre-Service Teachers

The purpose of this study is to establish a research model of structural relationships to analyze the effects of self-differentiation variables on interpersonal relationship variables of elementary pre-service teachers and to verify the effect of depression as a mediator. In accordance with the purpose of this study, a preliminary survey was conducted among elementary pre-service teachers enrolled in G University of Education in Chungcheongnam-do, South Chungcheong Province, and then the main survey was conducted to obtain a total of 359 data. Among them, 355 data without missing data were analyzed using statistical techniques using SPSS 21.0 and AMOS 21.0 programs. The main findings of this study are as follows. First, the level of self-differentiation of pre-service teachers was positively related to interpersonal relationships. Second, the level of self-differentiation of pre-service teachers was negatively related to depression. Third, depression was negatively related to interpersonal relationships among pre-service teachers. Fourth, depression was partially mediated in the structural relationship of the effect of ego differentiation on interpersonal relationships. These findings have theoretical implications that can be used as a basis for psychological counseling to solve interpersonal problems for citizens in early adulthood, including pre-service elementary school teachers, who are in the early stages of the life cycle, and practical implications for providing counseling education programs that can maintain smooth interpersonal relationships by increasing their levels of self-differentiation or decreasing their levels of depression.