The Advantage Trap: Stronger Association Between Educational Achievement and Depression Among Socioeconomically Advantaged Students in China

While research has richly documented how family background shapes both educational achievement and adolescent depression, far less is known about how it shapes their relationship and the mechanisms underlying this relationship. Using two waves of the China Education Panel Survey (2013–2015) and school fixed-effects models, this study finds that the negative association between educational achievement and depression is significantly stronger among socioeconomically advantaged students. For these students, both pressure from parental expectations and teachers’ criticism render academic performance more consequential for their psychological well-being. We use the term “advantage trap” to describe this pattern: while socioeconomically advantaged youth often perform better, their well-being is more tightly bound to academic success, suggesting that falling short may place greater strain on their mental health. These findings demonstrate how socioeconomic advantage can intensify, rather than buffer, the emotional costs of achievement, and underscore the need for coordinated educational and mental health interventions, particularly in high-stakes examination systems such as those in China.