Family communication and depressed mood in Spanish adolescents: The mediating role of psychosocial resources

The present research analyzed the mediating effect of self-esteem and perceived social support between quality of family communication and depressive mood in a general sample of adolescents. Participants in the study were 625 adolescents students aged 12 to 20 years old. Data were analyzed with structural equation models. We observed a direct risk effect of family communication problems and a direct protective effect of social and physical self-esteem on depressive mood in adolescence. Furthermore, results show an indirect protective effect of open family communication on adolescent's depressive mood through promotion of social and physical self-esteem. However, self-esteem and perceived social support did not show a mediator role.