How does interparental conflict affect adolescent preference-for-solitude? Depressive symptoms as mediator at between- and within-person levels.

Abstract

This 3-year longitudinal study explored the mediating role of depressive symptoms in the relations between interparental conflict (IPC) and preference-for-solitude (PFS). Participants were 1,039 Chinese adolescents (53.9% boys) between 11 and 15 years old (MT1 = 12.37, SD = .58). Data were collected at three time points and included maternal reports of IPC, adolescent reports of depressive symptoms, peer nominations of PFS. Results from multilevel mediation analyses indicated that at both the between- and within-person levels, statistically significant indirect effects were found for depressive symptoms as a mediator of the relation between IPC and PFS. That is, elevated IPC predicted adolescent increased depressive symptoms, which in turn, were associated with heightened PFS. As well, within a given adolescent, higher frequencies of IPC were a significant positive predictor of depressive symptoms for that adolescent, and in turn, changes in depressive symptoms were positively associated with changes in PFS over time. These findings highlight the influence of IPC on early adolescents' maladaptive outcomes over time. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).