Depression is the first killer of health in the 21st century. Adolescence is a critical period for understanding and preventing depression. Based on research found that social support and school belonging have an important influence on depression, the purpose of this research is to explore the relationship between social support, school belonging and depression. The participants were 758 junior high school students randomly selected by stratification. Use the "the Social Support Scale", "the School Belonging Scale" and "the Depression Scale" as research tools, to verify the mediating effect of school belonging between different sources of social support and depression. The main findings of the study are as follows: 1. This study confirms the multiple construction of social support. The junior high school students feel the most support of their parents. 2. Parental emotional support has the highest negative predictor of depression, but it is the type of parental support that middle school students feel the least. 3. Negative correlation between the social support and the school belonging to depression. 4. The school belonging has a mediating effect between social support and depression. Classmates’ appraisal support can full mediate depression, emotional depression, cognitive depression, and behavioral depression through relationship connections. Based on the research results, this study suggest that parents provide more emotional support their children need most to form a protective factor against depression. Schools and teachers’ positive evaluation of students’ good practices and regulations can enhance the establishment and maintenance of friendly relationships among students, thereby reducing depression.

Authors:
Pei-Yun Liu, National Dong Hwa University, Taiwan

About the Presenter(s)
Dr Pei-Yun Liu is a University Professor/Principal Lecturer at National Dong Hwa University in Taiwan

See this presentation on the full schedule – Friday Schedule

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