Change brings new life: the influence of parental alienation behaviors on adolescent depression

Adolescence is a time of high incidence of depression and an important time window for depression prevention. Previous studies showed that parental alienation behaviors have a profound influence on adolescent depression, but the mediating and moderating mechanisms that underlie this influence are unclear. The current study explored the effects of parental alienation behaviors on adolescent depression, the mediating role of self-esteem and the moderating role of cognitive reappraisal in the association between parental alienation behaviors on adolescent depression. A total of 649 adolescents (M_age = 14.92 years, SD = 1.59) participated in the survey and completed the Parental Alienation Behavior Scale, Self-esteem Scale, Cognitive Reappraisal Scale, Depression Scale and demographic variables. After controlling for demographic variables, the results showed that parental alienation behaviors significantly and positively predicted adolescent depression. Mediation analysis showed that the association between parental alienation behaviors and adolescent depression was mediated by self-esteem. Moreover, the moderation analysis indicated that cognitive reappraisal moderated the association between parental alienation behaviors and self-esteem, as well as parental alienation behaviors and adolescent depression, which supports the stress-vulnerability model. The findings not only explain how parental alienation affects adolescent depression in the context of Chinese culture, but also provide theoretical and practical implications for the prevention and intervention of adolescent depression.