Factors Contributing to Depression among Primary School Students in China

HRMARS - The research examines the causes of primary school depression in China, where the influence of a family environment and a school environment are emphasized. With the help of 448 students ranging in age between 7 and 12 years, a structured questionnaire and structural equation modeling (SEM) were used in analyzing the relationships of the key variables. Findings show that family support and family cohesion are the main protective factors, then followed by teacher support and peer relations, and they all have negative correlation with depression. On the contrary, academic pressure is considered as the major risk factor that has a positive impact on depressive symptoms. Measurement model reveals excellent reliability and validity which confirms the soundness of the results. The paper underscores the relevance of taking a comprehensive strategy that takes into account both the family and school settings when explaining childhood depression. Practical recommendations based on the results include ways of increasing the level of parental participation, improving teacher support, and alleviating academic pressure. Although it may have some drawbacks such as its dependence on self-reported information and cross-sectional design, the study gives important empirical information and research guidelines to follow in future studies concerning early interventions addressing mental health issues in primary school children.