Economic Strain, Family Processes, Cultural Influence, and Depressive Symptoms: A Cross-National Multilevel Analysis

Economic strain is detrimental to individuals’ mental health, yet little is known about the underlying mechanisms behind this relationship. This study aims to investigate the mediating effects of family conflict and family solidarity, as well as the moderating effect of individualism-collectivism. Data are drawn from the 2017 round of the International Social Survey Program (ISSP), encompassing 36,950 respondents from 29 countries/regions ( M = 48.55 years old; SD = 17.20 years). The linear multilevel modeling method is employed in our study. The findings demonstrate that (1) economic strain is positively associated with depressive symptoms; (2) both family conflict and family solidarity mediate the association between economic strain and depressive symptoms; (3) the association between family conflict and depressive symptoms is stronger for individuals in individualism when compared with those in collectivism; and (4) the association between family solidarity and depressive symptoms is stronger for individuals in individualism when compared with those in collectivism. Our findings reveal the role of family dynamics and cultural orientations in shaping the relationship between economic strain and depression.