BMC Psychol. 2025 Nov 19;13(1):1281. doi: 10.1186/s40359-025-03620-0.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Adolescence is a critical period of heightened vulnerability to depression, during which environmental contexts-particularly boarding schools-may significantly influence mental health through altered family and school relationships. Despite the widespread prevalence of boarding schools globally, their longitudinal impact on adolescent depression remains understudied. This study examines the longitudinal impact of early adolescent boarding on depressive symptoms, testing whether diminished parent-child closeness or school connectedness mediates this association.
METHODS: Using longitudinal data from a nationally representative sample of 9,324 Chinese 7th graders (30.3% boarders), we employed propensity score matching to control for pre-existing differences between boarding and non-boarding students across individual, familial, and institutional factors. Depressive symptoms, parent-child closeness, and school connectedness were assessed at baseline and one-year follow-up. Mediation analyses tested the indirect effects of boarding via these relational pathways.
RESULTS: Boarding predicted increased depressive symptoms at follow-up (β = 0.28, p < .05), with effects robust across matching specifications. School connectedness mediated 24% of this association (indirect effect: β=-0.08, 95% CI [-0.15, -0.00]), whereas parent-child closeness showed no significant mediation.
DISCUSSION: Results suggest that boarding exacerbates depression risk primarily by undermining school belonging rather than familial bonds, aligning with Stage-Environment Fit Theory’s emphasis on alignment with developmental needs. These findings underscore the critical role of school connectedness in adolescent mental health. Priorities should be given to interventions enhancing school connectedness through mentorship, peer support, and autonomy-supportive structures.
PMID:41258158 | DOI:10.1186/s40359-025-03620-0
