TY  - EJOU
AU  - Wang, Zhenhong 
AU  - Wu, Hailong 

TI  - Childhood emotional abuse and adolescent depression: The mediating role of resilience and self-efficacy
T2  - Journal of Psychology in Africa

PY  - 2025
VL  - 35
IS  - 6
SN  - 1815-5626

AB  - We examined the direct relationship between childhood emotional abuse and depression in adolescents and the mediating roles of resilience and self-efficacy in that relationship. Using a cross-sectional study design, 636 Chinese adolescents (Girls = 48.6%, mean years of service = 15.8, SD = 1.9) completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), the Ego-Resiliency Scale (ERS), the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Mediation analysis revealed that childhood emotional abuse significantly predicted higher levels of depression. Moreover, resilience and self-efficacy were found to mediate this relationship both independently and sequentially. Specifically, resilience accounted for 7.48% of the mediation effect, while self-efficacy accounted for 5.89%, indicating that resilience played a relatively more prominent mediating role. The chain mediation effect involving both constructs was 2.41%. These findings enhanced the attachment theory understanding of the mechanism of childhood emotional abuse and depression. Prospective prevention and treatment of depression among adolescents should consider resilience and self-efficacy.
KW  - childhood emotional abuse; resilience; self-efficacy; depression; adolescent

DO  - 10.32604/jpa.2025.073522