Classmates' Discrimination Experiences and Adolescent Depressive Symptoms: Evidence From Random Assignment of Students to Classrooms in South Korea

Ecological analysis of air particulate matter exposure and depression among adolescents in developing regions of Hubei, China

BACKGROUND

Adolescent depression is a health issue influenced by various factors, with the impact of environmental factors, particularly air pollution, being insufficiently understood. This study investigates the relationship between particulate matter (PM2.5) and adolescent mental health.

METHODS

A survey of middle school students in two rural counties of Hubei Province-Tongcheng and Lichuan-was conducted using multi-stage probability sampling. Data on demographics, mental health, and social conditions were collected via self-administered questionnaires. PM2.5 exposure levels were obtained from the NASA Giovanni database using a two-step machine learning model. Depression levels were measured with the PHQ-9 scale. Generalized linear regression and structural equation modeling were used to analyze the relationship between PM2.5 and depression.

RESULTS

The study included 2780 valid responses (mean age 13.49 years, 52.73% male). The findings indicated a correlation between PM2.5 exposure, left-behind children status, and negative coping strategies with higher PHQ-9 scores. Each unit increase in PM2.5 was associated with a 1.004 increase in the PHQ-9 score (P < 0.01). Left-behind children had scores 1.023 times higher than their peers (P = 0.039), while positive coping correlated with lower scores (RR = 0.855, P < 0.001). The influence of PM2.5 on depression was fully indirect, mediated by personal traits and family/community environments (β = -0.003, P = 0.855).

LIMITATIONS

The cross-sectional design limits causal inferences, and self-reporting may introduce bias. The focus on middle schoolers from two counties may limit broader applicability.

CONCLUSIONS

This research underscores the complex factors contributing to adolescent depression, with individual characteristics playing a crucial role. The impact of air pollution on depression is mediated by personal traits and the community environment.

Longitudinal Association between Bullying Victimization and Depressive Symptoms in Chinese Early Adolescents: The Effect of Life Satisfaction

Bullying victimization is associated with an increased risk of depression among adolescents. However, few studies have examined the association between bullying victimization and depressive symptoms, the impact of particular dimensions of life satisfaction on this relationship, and whether these associations vary by gender. A multilevel model (MLM) was used to explore the relationship between 1,611 Chinese early adolescents' incidence of bullying victimization and depression and life satisfaction's effect on this relationship (60.5% boys, M age = 12.48, SD = 0.48 at baseline). Bullying victimization was found to predict a high risk of depression in early adolescence. Further, we observed that life satisfaction mitigated the relationship between bullying victimization and depression; the MLM analysis indicated that these associations somewhat differed between genders. This study emphasized-based on ecological theory-four special dimensions of life satisfaction and bullying victimization in relation to depression risk. Additionally, this study provides novel insights into the correlation between bullying victimization and depression among Chinese early adolescents.

Chronic bullying victimization and life satisfaction among children from multicultural families in South Korea: Heterogeneity by immigrant mothers' country of origin

BACKGROUND

Despite existing literature on the link between bullying victimization and psychological well-being, little is known about the potential lasting negative effects of chronic bullying victimization, especially among children from multicultural families (CMF).

OBJECTIVE

This study examined the longitudinal association between chronic bullying victimization and life satisfaction among CMF in Korea, and further investigated whether this association differs by immigrant mothers' country of origin.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

This study utilized data from the Multicultural Adolescents Panel Study (MAPS) 2011-2019, a nationally representative longitudinal study of CMF in Korea who were between the ages of 9 and 12 at baseline (N = 1375).

METHODS

Fixed effects models were employed to address potential bias resulting from unobserved time-invariant confounders. Three theoretical models were proposed to examine the trajectory patterns of change in life satisfaction among chronically bullied children: cumulative effects, immediate-sustained effects, and short-lived effects models.

RESULTS

The longitudinal trajectories of change in life satisfaction associated with chronic bullying victimization were consistent with an immediate-sustained effects model. Heterogeneous patterns in the association by mothers' country of origin were observed. A cumulative effects model was supported for children with Southeast Asian mothers, indicating that chronic bullying victimization leads to a cumulative decrease in life satisfaction. For children with Chinese and Japanese mothers, the results supported either immediate-sustained or short-lived effects models.

CONCLUSIONS

Efforts to improve the psychological well-being of CMF should consider the potential long-term risk of chronic bullying victimization, particularly among youth with mothers from Southeast Asia.

The Asymmetric Effects of the Transitions Into and out of Bullying Victimization on Depressive Symptoms: The Protective Role of Parental Education

PURPOSE

This study aims to examine the association between bullying victimization and depressive symptoms among youth from multicultural families in Korea, while distinguishing between the effects of entering and exiting bullying victimization. This study also investigates whether parental education moderates this association.

METHODS

Using data from the Multicultural Adolescent Panel Survey, a nationally representative sample of children from multicultural families in Korea, this study employed novel asymmetric fixed-effects models that separately assess the effects of entering and exiting bullying victimization. Interaction models were conducted to consider the moderating roles of maternal and paternal college attainment.

RESULTS

Conventional fixed-effects models showed that bullying victimization is significantly associated with an increase in depressive symptoms (b = 0.261). Asymmetric fixed-effects models suggest that the magnitude of the entry effect (b = 0.299) was significantly larger than that of the exit effect (b = -0.237). Furthermore, maternal college education amplified the mental health benefits of exiting from bullying victimization but did not buffer the harmful effects of entering bullying victimization. Gender-stratified analyses indicate that this protective effect of maternal college education was only significant for girls. Paternal college education, on the other hand, did not moderate either the entry or exit effects of bullying victimization.

DISCUSSION

The study's findings on the asymmetric effects of bullying victimization on depressive symptoms emphasize the importance of providing follow-up care and mental health support for multicultural family youth who have experienced bullying, with particular attention to those with a history of victimization.

Children's bullying victimization and maternal suicidal ideation among multicultural families in South Korea: Heterogeneity by family socioeconomic status

RATIONALE

Children from multicultural families in Korea are vulnerable to bullying victimization. Despite growing evidence on the mental health consequences of bullying victimization for victims, little is known about the spillover effects on their immigrant mothers.

OBJECTIVE

This study examined the association between children's bullying victimization and their immigrant mothers' suicidal ideation. The potential moderating role of family socioeconomic status was also investigated.

METHODS

Using nine waves of the Multicultural Adolescents Panel Study spanning from 2011 to 2019 (N = 1466), this study estimated individual fixed effects models to control for unobserved individual-level heterogeneity. Interaction models were used to investigate potential heterogeneity by family socioeconomic status, including maternal education, household income, and maternal occupational status.

RESULTS

Fixed effects estimates revealed that children's bullying victimization is associated with an increased likelihood of suicidal ideation among marriage migrant mothers (b = 0.012, p < 0.05), even after controlling for unobserved time-invariant confounders as well as a set of time-varying covariates. Family socioeconomic status moderated this association. The association between children's bullying victimization and immigrant mothers' suicidal ideation was stronger for those with low levels of education and household income. No such moderating effects were observed for maternal occupation.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this study suggest that efforts to address the mental health consequences of bullying victimization among multicultural family children should extend beyond the victim to their immigrant mothers. When developing interventions to reduce suicidal ideation among immigrant mothers whose children have been victimized, policymakers may wish to consider the moderating role of family socioeconomic status.