Depressed mood in Chinese children: Development significance for social and school adjustment

Children's socioemotional problems have been largely neglected in Chinese collectivistic cultures. The purpose of the study was to examine contributions of depressed mood to social and school adjustment in Chinese children. A sample of children in the People's Republic of China, initially aged 12 years, participated in this two-year longitudinal study. Data concerning depressed mood, and social and academic performance were obtained from multiple sources including self-reports, peer assessments, teacher ratings, and school records. It was found that depressed mood was stable over the two years. Moreover, depression contributed negatively to later social and school achievement and positively to the development of adjustment difficulties. These results suggest that depressed mood is a significant phenomenon in social and psychological development in Chinese children and thus deserves attention from parents, teachers and professionals.