Self-compassion as a mediator of the longitudinal link between parent and adolescent depressive symptoms

• Autor(es): Cherpe, Sónia ; Cunha, Marina ; Matos, Ana Paula ; Arnarson, Eiríkur Örn ; Craighead, W. Edward ; Pinto-Gouveia, José ; Xavier, Ana
• Data: 2025
• Identificador Persistente: Cherpe, S., Cunha, M., Xavier, A. M., Matos, A. P., Arnarson, E. Ö., Craighead, W. E., & Pinto-Gouveia, J. (2025). Self-compassion as a mediator of the longitudinal link between parent and adolescent depressive symptoms. Adolescents, 5(3), 45, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.3390/adolescents5030045. Repositório Institucional UPT. https://hdl.handle.net/11328/6593
• Origem: Repositório da Universidade Portucalense
• Assunto(s): Adolescence; Developmental longitudinal mechanisms; Adolescent depressive symptoms; Parental depressive symptoms; Self-compassion; Early intervention; Preventive research; Ciências Sociais - Psicologia; 03 - good health and well-being
• Tipo de Documento: Artigo científico
• Idioma: Inglês

Descrição

The literature has consistently shown the link between parental depressive symptoms and adolescent depressive symptoms. Emotion regulation processes may explain this association, with self-compassion acting as a potential mediating mechanism. This study aimed to explore these developmental trajectories using a longitudinal design. The sample comprised dyads of parents and adolescents (N = 311), assessed across two assessment waves (T1 and T2) over 12 months. The adolescents’ mean age was 13.63 years (SD = 1.30; 173 males). Mediation analyses using structural equation modelling supported the role of self-compassion in mediating the relationship between parental and adolescent depressive symptoms over time (53% of outcome variance explained). The results suggest that fostering self-compassion early in adolescence may help prevent the later adverse effects of depressive symptoms.