Chinese adolescents' depression, anxiety, and family mutuality before and after COVID-19 lockdowns: Longitudinal cross-lagged relations

Objective This study aimed to investigate the longitudinal cross-lagged association between family mutuality, depression, and anxiety among Chinese adolescents before and after the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. Background Limited attention has been paid to the longitudinal links between family mutuality, depression, and anxiety in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Method We used self-administered questionnaires to collect data from three high schools and two middle schools in Chengdu City at two time points: Time 1 (T1), December 23, 2019-January 13, 2020; Time 2 (T2), June 16-July 8, 2020. The sample consisted of 7,958 participants who completed two wave surveys before and after the COVID-19 lockdown. We analyzed the data using cross-lagged structural equation modeling. Results The longitudinal cross-lagged model showed family mutuality at T1 significantly predicted depression, anxiety, and family mutuality at T2. We observed a decreasing prevalence of depression and anxiety after the COVID-19 lockdown. Conclusion Family mutuality plays an important role in mitigating long-term mental health disorders, such as depression and anxiety. More family-centered psychological interventions could be developed to alleviate mental health disorders during lockdowns. Implications Improving family mutuality (e.g., mutual support, interaction, and caring among family members) could be beneficial for reducing mental health disorders among Chinese adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic.