The Role of the Perceived Parent–Child Relationship on Latina Adolescent Depression

This study examined: (1) the relationship of familial factors to Latina adolescents’ depressive symptomology and, (2) the mediating role of parental connectedness in the relationships between perceived parental caring, academic interest and depression. The sample consisted of 276 Latina adolescents taken from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). A path model was hypothesized to illustrate the direct and indirect relationships between adolescent perceived mother connectedness, father connectedness, parental caring, parental academic interest, and depression. The hypothesized path model had good model fit: χ² (3, 224) = 6.53, p = .08; χ²/df = 2.18; CFI = .99; TLI = .98; and RMSEA = .07. In addition, father connectedness was found to mediate the relationship between general caring and depression as well as academic interest and depressive symptoms. Mother connectedness mediated the relationship between general caring and depressive symptoms. Consideration of Latina adolescents’ perceived parent–child relationship is of particular salience when working with depressed Latinas. Findings will be discussed for intervention and prevention efforts for Latina teens.