Does School Connectedness Mediate the Relationship Between Teacher Support and Depressive Symptoms?

Background and Purpose: The school environment is critical for adolescent development particularly in regards to preventing mental health issues such as depression. Research over the last couple of decades has identified strong perceptions of teacher support and school connectedness as significantly associated with fewer reported depressive symptoms (Kidger, Araya, Donovan, & Gunnell, 2012). Both teacher support and school connectedness seem to account for unique variance in the prediction of depressive symptoms. However, whether school connectedness mediates the link between teacher support and depressive symptoms needs further examination. This study examined the extent to which school connectedness mediates the relationship between teacher support and depressive symptoms in adolescents.

Methods: A secondary data analysis was conducted using Waves I and II of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health). The study sample included adolescents (N=13,120) with completed responses on the key study variables. School connectedness was measured with three items that caputure belonging (e.g., “I feel like I am part of this school”). Teacher support was measured with two separate items assessing trouble getting along with teachers and feeling cared about by teachers. Depressive symptoms were captured with 19 items from the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D; Radloff, 1977). Gender, race, and prior depressive symptoms were included as covariates. Using Stata 13.1, two separate Sobel-Goodman tests of mediation were performed. The first Sobel-Goodman test examined the mediation effect of school connectedness on the relationship between feeling cared about by teachers and depressive symptoms, while the second test examined the mediation effect of school connectedness on the relationship between getting along with teachers and depressive symptoms.

Results: Stronger perceptions of feeling cared about by teachers [B= -.47 (SE=.05;  p<.001)] and reports of getting along with teachers [B= - .36 (SE=.06; p<.001)] were associated with fewer depressive symptoms. When the mediator, school connectedness, was included in the first model the impact of feeling cared about by teachers on depressive symptoms was still significant B= -.30 (SE=.05; p<.001); however it was reduced suggesting partial mediation. The mediation effect of school connectedness was statistically significant with approximately 35% of the total effect of feeling cared about by teachers on depressive symptoms being mediated. Similarly, when school connectedness was included in the second model the impact of getting along with teachers on depressive symptoms was still significant B= -29(SE=.05); p<.001), however it was reduced. The mediation effect of school connectedness was statistically significant with approximately 18% of the total effect of feeling cared about by teachers on depressive symptoms being mediated.

Conclusions and Implications: The findings suggest that teacher support may influence adolescent depressive symptoms both directly and indirectly through its impact on school connectedness. Since the mediation was only partial, teacher support has its own direct impact on depressive symptoms. School social workers should consider both school connectedness and teacher support as potential protective factors when developing school-based interventions targeting depression.