Longitudinal Associations Between Family Socioeconomic Status and Adolescent Depressive Symptom Trajectories in China: A Chain Multiple Mediation Model

Although family socioeconomic status (SES) has been widely associated with adolescent depressive symptoms, less is known about how multidimensional SES shapes depressive symptom trajectories through family and individual mechanisms. Guided by the Family Stress Model, this study examined the associations between family SES and adolescents’ depressive symptom trajectories and tested the mediating roles of maternal mental health, parenting practices, and adolescent self-esteem. Data were drawn from six waves of the China Family Panel Studies (2010–2020), including 2,245 children followed from early childhood into adolescence (Mage = 6.45 years, SD = 1.12; 54% female). Latent growth modeling was used to estimate the intercept and slope of depressive symptoms, and structural equation modeling was applied to test mediation pathways. Results showed that across all family SES indicators, there was an indirect effect on the intercept of adolescent depressive symptoms through the sequential mediation of maternal mental health, parenting style, and self-esteem. For the slope of depressive symptoms, all SES indicators exerted indirect effects via self-esteem. Additionally, parental occupational status showed an additional indirect effect on the slope through parenting style. Across all models, higher self-esteem predicted lower initial levels of depressive symptoms but was associated with steeper increases in symptoms over time. These findings highlight the dynamic family and individual processes linking socioeconomic disadvantage to adolescent depressive symptom development.