Depressive symptoms mediate the associations of family economic pressure with social functioning: A three-wave longitudinal study of Chinese families

Objective: This three-wave longitudinal study examined if maternal and paternal depressive symptoms mediated the associations of family economic pressure with maternal and paternal social functioning among Chinese families. 

Background: Most research on family economic pressure has focused on its implications for family relationships and child adjustment. Its potential impact on parental social functioning and the possibly unique roles of mothers versus fathers remains underexplored. Therefore, using three waves of dyadic data, this study examined the interrelationships among family economic pressure, depressive symptoms, and social functioning among Chinese mothers and fathers. 

Method: On three occasions separated by about 6 months, data were collected from the mothers and fathers (65% and 54% were aged 31–40 years, respectively) of 191 kindergarten-aged children from Hong Kong, China. Mothers and fathers rated their shared family conditions and their own depressive symptoms and social functioning. 

Results: Structured equation modeling indicated that family economic pressure was associated with increases in mothers' and fathers' depressive symptoms, which in turn were associated with decreases in their own social functioning. Fathers' depressive symptoms mediated the association of family economic pressure with mothers' social functioning. 

Conclusion: Findings highlighted the importance of linking family economic pressure to extrafamilial roles and treating both parents as a related system. Findings also pointed to the possible utility of addressing the depressive symptoms of mothers and fathers to enhance their social functioning. Copyright © 2026 The Author(s).