Effect of perceived school environment on adolescent depression: the moderating role of intergenerational interactions

To examine the impact of perceived school environment on adolescent depression, and the moderating effects of intergenerational interactions. Based on the 2018 adolescent questionnaire data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), regression analysis was conducted using Stata 17.0 on a sample of 1058 individuals, focusing on depression status, perceived school environment, and intergenerational interactions. (1) Adolescent depression was significantly associated with lower parent-child communication (β= -0.06, p < 0.001), lower school satisfaction (β=-0.10, p < 0 0.001), higher academic pressure (β = 0.35, p < 0.001), and more frequent externalizing problem behaviors (β = 1.29, p < 0.001). (2) Intergenerational interaction played an important buffering role: behavioral evaluation negatively moderated the effect of academic pressure on depression (β = -0.05, p < 0.05), while parent-child communication negatively moderated the effect of externalizing problem behaviors on depression (β = -0.06, p < 0.01). Perceived school environment is an important factor affecting adolescent depression, and intergenerational interaction (especially behavioral evaluation and parent-child communication) can effectively buffer the negative effects of some risk factors (academic pressure, externalizing problem behaviors).