Psychological Development and Education ›› 2024, Vol. 40 ›› Issue (3): 403-411.doi: 10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2024.03.11

Previous Articles     Next Articles

The Relationships among Parent-child Cohesion, Sympathetic Nervous System Activity and College Students’ Depression under the Context of Parent-child Separation

WANG Lei1, BING Qian2, ZHAO Jingxin1   

  1. 1. School of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014;
    2. School of Education Science, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000
  • Published:2024-05-15

RichHTML

PDF (PC)

Abstract: Parent-child separation puts the individuals at increased risk for suffering from depression. However, the effect of parent-child separation experience on the interaction between biology and environment on depression has not been revealed. A sample of 210 college students completed the questionnaires, semi-structured interview and experiment to examine whether the interaction between parent-child cohesion and sympathetic nervous system activity (SCLR) on depression varied with early parent-child separation experience. The results showed that: (1) Parent-child separation experience positively predicted depression, while parent-child cohesion negatively predicted depression; (2) The moderating effect of SCLR on the association between father-child cohesion and depression varied with parent-child separation experience. These results indicate that early parent-child separation experience could change the biological-environmental mechanism of depression.

Key words: early parent-child separation experience, parent-child cohesion, sympathetic nervous system activity, college students' depression

CLC Number: 

  • B844
Abaied, J. L. (2016). Skin conductance level reactivity as a moderator of the link between parent depressive symptoms and psychosocial adjustment in emerging adults. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 33(4), 534-556.
Abaied, J. L., Stanger, S. B., Wagner, C., Sanders, W., Dyer, W. J., & Padilla-Walker, L. (2018). Parasympathetic and sympathetic reactivity moderate maternal contributions to emotional adjustment in adolescence. Developmental Psychology, 54(9), 1661-1673.
Bean, R. A., Barber, B. K., & Crane, D. R. (2006). Parentalsupport, behavioral control, and psychological control among African American youth. Journal of Family Issues, 27(10), 1335-1355.
Beauchaine, T. (2001). Vagal tone, development, and Gray’s motivational theory: Toward an integrated model of autonomic nervous system functioning in psychopathology. Development and Psychopathology, 13(2), 183-214.
Belsky, J., & Pluess, M. (2009). Beyond diathesis stress: Differential susceptibility to environmental influences. Psychological Bulletin, 135(6), 885-908.
Bjorklund, D. F., & Shackelford, T. K. (1999). Differences in parental investment contribute to important differences between men and women.Current Directions in Psychological Science, 8(3), 86-89.
Blaisdell, K. N.,Imhof, A. M., & Fisher, P. A. (2019). Early adversity, child neglect, and stress neurobiology: From observations of impact to empirical evaluations of mechanisms. International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience, 78, 139-146.
Boucsein, W. (1992). Electrodermal activity. New York: NY: Plenum Press.
Bowlby, J. (1973).Attachment and loss: Vol. 2. Separation. New York: NY: Basic Books.
Bunea, I. M., Szentagotai-Tatar, A., & Miu, A. C. (2017). Early-life adversity and cortisol response to social stress: A meta-analysis. Translational Psychiatry, 7, 1274. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-017-0032-3
Chen, X., Xu, L., Zeng, C., Zhang, X., Tao, F., & Sun, Y. (2021). Prolonged parent-child separation and pain in adolescence: The role of HPA-axis genetic variations.Journal of Affective Disorders, 292, 255-260.
Cummings, E. M., El-Sheikh, M., Kouros, C. D., & Keller, P. S. (2007). Children’s skin conductance reactivity as a mechanism of risk in the context of parental depressive symptoms.Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 48(5), 436-445.
El-Sheikh, M., & Erath, S. A. (2011). Family conflict, autonomic nervous system functioning, and child adaptation: State of the science and future directions.Development and Psychopathology, 23(2), 703-721.
El-Sheikh, M.,Keiley, M., Erath, S., & Dyer, W. J. (2013). Marital conflict and growth in children’s internalizing symptoms: The role of autonomic nervous system activity. Developmental Psychology, 49(1), 92-108.
El-Sheikh, M., Keller, P. S., & Erath, S. A. (2007). Marital conflict and risk for child maladjustment over time: Skin conductance level reactivity as a vulnerability factor.Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 35(5), 715-727.
Gao, L.,Xie, Y., Jia, C., & Wang, W. (2020). Prevalence of depression among Chinese university students: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Scientific Reports, 10(1), 1-11.
Gregson, K. D., Tu, K. M., & Erath, S. A. (2014). Sweating under pressure:Skin conductance level reactivity moderates the association between peer victimization and externalizing behavior. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 55(1), 22-30.
Harlow, H. F., & Zimmermann, R. R. (1959). Affectional response in the infant monkey.Science, 130(3373), 421-432.
Kirschbaum, C., Pirke, K. M., & Hellhammer, D. H. (1993). The “Trier Social Stress Test”-A tool for investigating psychobiological stress responses in a laboratory setting. Neuropsychobiology, 28(1-2), 76-81.
Kwong, A. S. F., Morris, T. T., Pearson, R. M., Timpson, N. J., Rice, F., Stergiakouli, E., & Tilling, K. (2021). Polygenic risk for depression, anxiety and neuroticism are associated with the severity and rate of change in depressive symptoms across adolescence. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 62(12), 1462-1474.
Lerner, R. M. (2006). Developmental science, developmental systems, and contemporary theories of human development. In W. Damon & R. M. Lerner (Editors-in-chief) and R. M. Lerner (Vol. Ed.),Handbook of child psychology. Vol. 1: Theoretical models of human development (6th ed., pp. 1-17, 43-61, 542-548). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Li, X.,Coid, J. W., Tang, W., Lv, Q., Zhang, Y., Yu, H., … Li, T. (2021). Sustained effects of left-behind experience during childhood on mental health in Chinese university undergraduates. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 30(12), 1949-1957.
Liu, H., Zhou, Z., Fan, X., Luo, H., Wang, D., Wang, J., … Nawaz, R. (2021). A mixed method study to examine the mental health problems of college students who had left-behind experiences. Journal of Affective Disorders, 292, 149-160.
Luthar, S. S., Cicchetti, D., & Becker, B. (2000). The construct of resilience: A critical evaluation and guidelines for future work. Child Development, 71(3), 543-562.
Monroe, S. M., & Simons, A. D. (1991). Diathesis-stress theories in the context of life stress research: Implications for the depressive disorders.Psychological Bulletin, 110(3), 406-425.
Moreira, J. F. G, & Telzer, E. H. (2015). Changes in family cohesion and links to depression during the college transition. Journal of Adolescence, 43, 72-82.
Olson, D. H., Sprenkle, D. H., & Russell, C. S. (1979). Circumplex model of marital and family systems: Cohesion and adaptability dimensions, family types, and clinical applications. Family Process, 18(1), 3-28.
Radloff, L. S. (1977). The CES-D scale: A self-report depression scale for research in the general population. Applied Psychological Measurement, 1(3), 385-401.
Stanger, S.,Abaied, J., Wagner, C., & Sanders, W. (2018). Contributions of observed parent socialization of coping and skin conductance level reactivity to childhood adjustment. Family Process, 57(1), 181-194.
Steinberg, L., & Avenevoli, S. (2000). The role of context in the development of psychopathology: A conceptual framework and some speculative propositions. Child Development, 71(1), 66-74.
Wagner, C. R., & Abaied, J. L. (2016). Skin conductance level reactivity moderates the association between parental psychological control and relational aggression in emerging adulthood. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 45(4), 687-700.
Weems, C. F.,Zakem, A. H., Costa, N. M., Cannon, M. F., & Watts, S. E. (2005). Physiological response and childhood anxiety: Association with symptoms of anxiety disorders and cognitive bias. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 34(4), 712-723.
Williams, S. K., & Kelly, F. D. (2005). Relationships among involvement, attachment, and behavioral problems in adolescence: Examining father’s influence.The Journal of Early Adolescence, 25(2), 168-196.
Zhao, J., Li, Q., Wang, L., Lin, L., & Zhang, W. (2019). Latent profile analysis of left-behind adolescents’ psychosocial adaptation in rural China. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 48(6), 1146-1160.
雷雳, 王争艳, 刘红云, 张雷. (2002). 初中生的亲子沟通及其与家庭环境系统和社会适应关系的研究. 应用心理学, 8(1), 14-20.
师保国, 申继亮. (2007). 家庭社会经济地位、智力和内部动机与创造性的关系. 心理发展与教育, 23(1), 30-34.
徐夫真, 张文新, 张玲玲. (2009). 家庭功能对青少年疏离感的影响: 有调节的中介效应. 心理学报, 41(12), 1165-1174.
杨洋, 孙铃, 张红川, 黄四林, 朱晓. (2018). 适应负荷: 社会经济地位影响健康的生理机制. 心理科学进展, 26(8), 1475-1487.
章婕, 吴振云, 方格, 李娟, 韩布新, 陈祉妍. (2010). 流调中心抑郁量表全国城市常模的建立. 中国心理卫生杂志, 24(2), 139-143.
张文新, 王美萍, Andrew Fuligni. (2006). 青少年的自主期望、对父母权威的态度与亲子冲突和亲合. 心理学报, 38(6), 868-876.
张云运, 骆方, 陶沙, 罗良, 董奇. (2015). 家庭社会经济地位与父母教育投资对流动儿童学业成就的影响. 心理科学, 38(1), 19-26.
赵景欣, 栾斐斐, 孙萍, 徐婷婷, 刘霞. (2017). 亲子亲合、逆境信念与农村留守儿童积极/消极情绪的关系. 心理发展与教育, 33(4), 441-448.
赵景欣, 王秋金, 杨萍, 刘霞. (2017). 行为自主决策、亲子亲合与个体主观幸福感的关系: 留守与非留守青少年的比较. 心理发展与教育, 33(3), 352-360.
[1] ZHANG Yongxin, ZHOU Zongkui, DING Qian, WEI Hua. Classmate Relationship and Externalizing Problem Behavior in Adolescent: The Role of Self-esteem and Parent-child Cohesion [J]. Psychological Development and Education, 2018, 34(6): 732-741.
[2] ZHAO Jingxin, YANG Ping, MA Jinling, HUANG Cuicui. Perceived Discrimination and Positive/Negative Emotion of Left-Behind Children: The Protective Role of Parent-Child Cohesion [J]. Psychological Development and Education, 2016, 32(3): 369-376.
Viewed
Full text


Abstract

Cited
  Shared   
  Discussed   
No Suggested Reading articles found!
Copyright 2018 © Editorial office of Psychological Development and Education
Supported by Beijing Magtech Co.Ltd