Intergenerational interactions of family expectations and their potential impact on adolescent depression in China: A longitudinal cross-lagged analysis

Background Adolescent depression is becoming more prevalent, but imbalances in family expectations can also raise the risk of depression. Family expectations and subsequent adolescent depression have received comparatively little investigation. Methods The present study used longitudinal data from two waves (2016, 2018) of the China Family Panel Studies, which included 1049 adolescents aged 10–15. A cross-lagged model and a multi-cluster structural equation model were used to examine longitudinal associations and gender differences in parental expectations, adolescent expectations, and adolescent depression in Chinese families. Results (1) Adolescent depression, parental expectations, and adolescent expectations were stable across time in both surveys. (2) Adolescent expectation revealed a significant reciprocal predictive relationship with expectations of their parents and their own depression, respectively. (3) Parental expectation and adolescent depression showed a significant negative correlation over the same period but did not show a significant cross-period predictive effect. (4) A multi-group structural equation model analysis revealed that the persistence of depression was higher among female adolescents. Conclusions The results indicate reciprocal effects between adolescent expectations and parental expectations and depression, respectively, as well as contemporaneous effects between parental expectations and adolescent depression. Gender differences were also observed in the relationships among the three factors.