1,377 adolescents aged 12 to 17 were studied to explore factors related to (PIU).
Poor family communication is positively associated with adolescent PIU.
and mediate the relationship between family communication and adolescent PIU.
Loneliness and depression sequentially mediate the link from family communication to adolescent PIU.
The developmental stage, particularly late adolescence, moderates the effect of depression on PIU.
AI simplified
INTRODUCTION: (PIU) is a significant issue during adolescence. It is recognized as a condition for further study in the DSM-5 and may also be a consequence of underlying psychopathologies, as suggested by previous studies. Poor family communication is an important predictor of adolescent PIU. However, it remains unclear how family communication impacts adolescent PIU from the perspective of underlying psychopathologies. This study tested the chain mediating effect of and as well as the moderating effect of developmental stage in this chain mediation model to uncover the mechanisms underlying this association.
METHODS: This cross-sectional study recruited a total of 1,377 participants (53% male) from 23 provinces across China, all aged 12 to 17. Family communication was assessed using the FCS-10, which measures aspects such as openness, emotional expression, and problem-solving abilities within family interactions. PIU was assessed using the PIUQ-SF-6, loneliness was measured by the T-ILS, and depression was assessed using the PHQ-9. The chain mediating effects were tested using bias-corrected percentile bootstrap (sample = 5000).
RESULTS: The results indicated that (a) poor family communication was positively associated with adolescent PIU; (b) loneliness and depression mediated the link between family communication and adolescent PIU; (c) loneliness and depression sequentially mediated the link between family communication and adolescent PIU; (d) the developmental stage of adolescence (early vs late) moderated the relationship between depression and PIU in the chain mediation model.
CONCLUSION: This study reveals that depression, as a potential underlying psychopathology, may precede PIU. It also establishes a link between family communication and PIU, showing that loneliness resulting from poor family communication contributes to the development of depression in adolescents. The connection between depression and PIU is particularly pronounced in late adolescence. These findings highlight the importance of addressing underlying psychopathologies when screening and treating adolescent PIU.
Key numbers
1,377
Participants
Total number of adolescent participants across China.
53%
Percentage of Male Participants
Proportion of male participants in the study.
70%
Percentage of Participants from Urban Areas
Proportion of participants residing in urban areas.
Full Text
We can’t show the full text here under this license. Use the link below to read it at the source.
