已发表论文

父母冲突对中国大学生新发重度抑郁症的影响

 

Authors Gao Y, Fang Q, Zhou Y, Si J, Liu M, Liu Y, Liu C, Li N, Zhai J, Yu H, Yang J

Received 18 September 2025

Accepted for publication 18 December 2025

Published 28 December 2025 Volume 2025:18 Pages 2451—2468

DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S559685

Checked for plagiarism Yes

Review by Single anonymous peer review

Peer reviewer comments 2

Editor who approved publication: Professor Mei-Chun Cheung

Yan Gao,1,2,* Qing Fang,1,* Yanan Zhou,3 Jijian Si,1 Min Liu,4 Yan Liu,5 Chuanxin Liu,2 Na Li,2 Jinguo Zhai,2 Hao Yu,2 Jianli Yang1 

1Department of Clinical Psychology,Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, 300052,People’s Republic of China; 2School of Mental Health, Jining Medical University, Jining, 272067, People’s Republic of China; 3Psychiatry department, Shandong Daizhuang Hospital, Jining, 272051, People’s Republic of China; 4School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, People’s Republic of China; 5School of Public Health, Jining Medical University, Jining, 272067, People’s Republic of China

*These authors contributed equally

Correspondence: Jianli Yang, Department of Clinical Psychology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, 300052, People’s Republic of China, Email adyy005@163.com

Objective: Major depressive disorder (MDD) significantly impairs college students’ functioning. Inter-parental conflict (IPC) is a recognized risk factor for mental health issues, yet gender-specific mechanisms linking IPC to MDD in college students remain unclear. This study aimed to examine the association between IPC and new-onset MDD among Chinese university students, and to test whether this association differs by gender.
Methods: A retrospective controlled study was conducted between April 2018 and October 2019 among 8079 first-year students from two medical universities in Shandong Province, China, using cluster sampling.The Adolescent Self-rating Life Events Check List (ASLEC) assessed stressful life events, the lifetime severe traumatic events questionnaire evaluated traumatic experiences, the Egna Minnen Beträffande Uppfostran (EMBU) measured parenting styles, and the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI-3.0) diagnosed MDD based on DSM-IV criteria. With descriptive statistics computed by gender and logistic regression models employed to assess IPC’s impact on MDD risk.
Results: The overall incidence of new-onset MDD was 2.4% (2.1% in males, 2.6% in females). Multivariate analysis revealed that occasional physical violence (OR=2.114, 95% CI:1.059– 4.222) and chronic emotional neglect (OR=2.252, 95% CI:1.074– 4.724) during IPC significantly increased MDD risk in male students. Among female students, seeking help from relatives during parental conflicts was independently associated with increased MDD risk (OR=2.14, 95% CI:1.09– 4.20).
Conclusion: IPC is significantly associated with new-onset MDD among Chinese college students, and this relationship is moderated by gender. While male students show vulnerability to physical conflict and emotional neglect, female students face increased risk when involving relatives in conflict resolution. The findings support the development of gender-specific intervention strategies to mitigate familial risk and promote student mental health.

Keywords: major depressive disorder, family dynamics, risk factors, gender stratification