Psychological resilience partially mediates the association between parent-child attachment and depressive symptoms in Chinese college students: A cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE: Depression is very common among college students. Previous studies have found a close relationship between psychological resilience, parent-child attachment, and depression. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between psychological resilience, parent-child attachment, and depression in college students, with a focus on the mediating role of psychological resilience in the relationship between parent-child attachment and depression, which has not been reported yet. METHODS: A survey of 100,310 college students was conducted using a cluster sampling method. Online questionnaires were administered using the CES-D-10, IPPA, and CD-RISC. Correlation and mediation analyses were performed to examine the relationship between depression, parent-child attachment and psychological resilience. RESULTS: A total of 100,106 participants were analyzed. Psychological resilience was categorized into low, medium, and high groups via latent profile analysis (31.98%, 48.97%, and 19.05%, respectively). There were no significant differences in depression levels, parent-child attachment, or psychological resilience across economic zones (eastern, central, and western). However, participants with depressive symptoms (CES-D-10 ≥ 10, n = 12,649) had significantly lower scores in parent-child attachment (23.11 ± 7.203) and psychological resilience (21.04 ± 6.916) compared to those without depressive symptoms (25.92 ± 6.967 and 27.50 ± 7.011, respectively; p < 0.001). Mediation analysis revealed that psychological resilience partially mediated the relationship between parent-child attachment and depressive symptoms, suggesting that weaker parent-child attachment indirectly exacerbates depressive symptoms through its negative impact on psychological resilience. CONCLUSION: This study shows that economic zones do not affect depression, parent-child attachment, or psychological resilience among college students. However, weaker parent-child attachment and lower resilience significantly contribute to depressive symptoms, with resilience partially mediating this relationship. Strengthening resilience and improving parent-child relationships are crucial for enhancing mental health in college students.