Assessing the role of parent-child conflict and closeness in children’s depression: insights from a meta-analysis

Depression, as a prevalent public health concern, has long been the focus of research attention. However, the magnitude and moderating mechanisms underlying the association between parent-child relationships and childhood depression remain inconclusive. This study employed a meta-analysis to quantitatively assess the associations between two dimensions of parent-child relationships (closeness and conflict) and depressive symptoms in children across diverse global cultures, while investigating potential moderators through subgroup analyses and meta-regression. After systematic Literature search and screening, 63 studies comprising 97 effect sizes were included, with a total sample of 70,687 participants (mean age 13.3 ± 1.12 years; 51% girls). Main effect analysis revealed significant positive correlations between childhood depression and parent-child conflict (r = 0.25) and significant negative correlations with parent-child closeness (r = - 0.24). Moderator analyses identified cultural context, study design, child age, and publication status as significant moderators of these associations. In contrast, child gender, parental gender, and measurement instruments for depression showed no significant moderating effects. This study confirms that parent-child closeness and conflict respectively serve as crucial protective and risk factors for childhood depression. These findings underscore the importance of fostering positive parent-child relationships in preventive interventions, potentially reducing the incidence of childhood depression through improved family dynamics.