The Dynamic Reciprocal Relationships between Adolescent Depression and Friendship Support: Based on Parallel Latent Growth Models Approach

Gu Xinyi; Zhu Ningning; Li Dan; Fu Yiwen; Jin Guomin; Yang Panpan

doi:10.16719/j.cnki.1671-6981.20260320

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Journal of Psychological Science ›› 2026, Vol. 49 ›› Issue (3) : 724-735. DOI: 10.16719/j.cnki.1671-6981.20260320

Research on Social Psychological Service in the New Era

The Dynamic Reciprocal Relationships between Adolescent Depression and Friendship Support: Based on Parallel Latent Growth Models Approach

Gu Xinyi ¹ ,
Zhu Ningning ² ,
Li Dan ¹^,³^,^** ,
Fu Yiwen ⁴ ,
Jin Guomin ⁵ ,
Yang Panpan ⁶^,^**

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Abstract

Depression is a common mental health issue, particularly during adolescence. When depression becomes severe, it can have long-lasting negative effects on both physical and mental health in adulthood. Friendship support is an important component of social support. It refers to the practical help or emotional comfort individuals receive or perceive from their friends. Studies have shown the relationship between depression and friendship support. But there is still no evidence clearly indicating the directionality of the connection between these two variables. On the one hand, research has found that the level of depression is likely to reduce friendship support in adolescents. For example, depression and depressive tendencies often lead to avoidance and rejection behaviors in interpersonal interactions, resulting in difficulties in relationships and a decrease in friendship support. On the other hand, studies have also shown that friendship support can alleviate depression in adolescents. High levels of perceived friendship support may help reduce feelings of loneliness and boost self-esteem, thus lowering the likelihood of developing depression. In addition, researchers have conducted further analyses of the developmental trajectories and dynamic interactions between depression and friendship support. The results revealed that the dynamic development of depression is associated with friendship support at specific time points. Friendship support can predict the developmental trajectory of depression. However, few studies have incorporated the developmental trajectory of friendship support while examining the dynamic relationship between depression and it. To address this, cross-lagged regression analysis and a parallel latent growth model were performed to examine the dynamic interactions between the developmental trajectories of depression and friendship support across three time points.

A total of 2,178 students in grade 7 and grade 10 from Qingdao and Shanghai were recruited for the study with three follow-up assessments in one and a half years (T1: April 2021, T2: November 2021, T3: June 2022). The final valid sample consisted of 2,075 participants (M_age = 15.13 years, SD_age= 1.41, 51.1% are girls) who provided complete data from at least two of the three assessments. Adolescents’ depression and friendship support were assessed through self-report measures, using the Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI) and the Network of Relationships Inventory (NRI), respectively. Using SPSS 27.0 and Mplus 8.3 software for data analyses. The results indicated that: (1) Cross-lagged regression analysis revealed a significant one-way predictive relationship between depression and friendship support, with depression at one time point significantly negatively predicting friendship support at the subsequent time point (β= -.061, p <.01; β = -.064, p <.01). However, friendship support at one time point did not significantly predict depression at the following time point (β = -.013, p>.05; β= -.001, p >.05). (2) Univariate latent growth model analysis indicates that both levels of adolescent depression (β =.884, p <.001) and friendship support (β =.798, p <.01) exhibit a linear increasing trend over time. (3) Parallel latent growth modeling showed that the growth rate of depression negatively predicted the growth rate of friendship support (β = -.285, p <.001). The initial level of depression negatively predicted both the initial level (β = -.267, p <.001) and growth rate of friendship support (β = -.144, p <.001). This study highlights the dynamic mechanisms through which depression negatively predicts the level and growth rate of friendship support, providing theoretical and practical insights for predicting the risk of insufficient friendship support in depressed individuals and for future interventions.

Key words

depression / friendship support / cross-lagged model / parallel latent growth model / adolescents

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Gu Xinyi , Zhu Ningning , Li Dan , et al . The Dynamic Reciprocal Relationships between Adolescent Depression and Friendship Support: Based on Parallel Latent Growth Models Approach[J]. Journal of Psychological Science. 2026, 49(3): 724-735 https://doi.org/10.16719/j.cnki.1671-6981.20260320

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