O efeito moderador da satisfação com a vida na associação entre a qualidade da relação pais/filhos(as) e depressão na adolescência

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Depression has a long-term character and is related to significant functional losses and a reduction in the long-term quality of life. There are several factors that make the human being vulnerable to depression, including low quality family relationships characterized by high levels of conflict and low life satisfaction. AIM: To study the quality of the parents/children relationship and life satisfaction as predictors of depression in adolescence and to explore the moderating effect of life satisfaction in the association between the quality of the relationship between the parents/children evaluated in the first moment and the depression in the adolescence evaluated in the second moment (six months later). METHODS: In a community sample of 534 adolescents, aged 13 to 17 years, questionnaires were applied and an interview was carried out in two evaluation moments, with an interval of 6 months. RESULTS: Adolescents who evaluated their life satisfaction as good showed less depressive symptomatology than those who assessed as reasonable or low, even though there was a perception of a higher conflict in the relationship with the mother. CONCLUSIONS: Life satisfaction evaluated as good may act as a protective factor in the development of depressive symptoms, when facing high levels of conflict in the relationship with mother. Emphasis is thus given to the inclusion and evaluation of constructs from positive psychology in preventive programs for depression in adolescence.