Vol.:(0123456789) 1 3 School Mental Health https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-018-9268-1 ORIGINAL PAPER Self‑concept, Social Skills, and Resilience as Moderators of the Relationship Between Stress and Childhood Depression J. Jaureguizar 1  · M. Garaigordobil 2  · E. Bernaras 3 © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2018 Abstract The goal of this study is to explore the relationship between students’ self-reported stress and teacher-informed depression, and to determine whether students’ resilience, self-concept, and social skills moderate this relationship. The sample included 481 participants aged 7–10 years, with a total of 252 boys (52.4%) and 229 girls (47.6%). The participants were selected from schools in the Basque country, 59.5% from public schools (n = 286) and 40.5% from private/subsidized schools (n = 195). To measure the variables under study, we requested the teachers to complete a questionnaire on depressive symptomatology for each of their students (CDS-teacher), and the students completed another four assessment tools to evaluate their levels of stress (IECI), their self-concept (CAG), social skills (SSiS), and resilience (RSCA). We found a positive correlation between depression and school stress and a negative one between depression and intellectual self-concept, sense of control, social skills (cooperation and responsibility), and variables that make up resilience (optimism, adaptability, trust, support, and tolerance). We found that self-concept, social skills, and resilience all moderated the relationship between stress and childhood depression. The amount of variance explained in the moderation models obtained ranged from 18 to 76%. The results obtained may be useful for the design of prevention and intervention programs for childhood depression, including strengthening children’s self-concept, social skills, and resilience as protective factors against depression. Keywords Childhood depression · Stress · Moderation · Self-concept · Social skills · Resilience Introduction Depression is the main worldwide cause of health and dis- ability issues, and it affects more than 300 million people worldwide, representing an increase of 18% between 2005 and 2015 (Worldwide Health Organization [WHO], 2017). It is a mental illness that affects people of all ages, but early detection is essential for its prevention. Hence, the importance of identifying depression from an early age and of trying to understand the multiple associated factors. Her- man, Reinke, Parkin, Traylor, and Agarwal (2009) underline the main role of the school in the lives of children outside of the family environment, as a place where depression can develop, be prevented, and even be treated. Regarding the prevalence of childhood depression, the results of studies conducted in school contexts indicate prevalence rates around 4% in Spain or Turkey, 6% in Fin- land, 8% in Greece, 10% in Australia, and 25% in Colombia (for a review, see Garaigordobil, Bernaras, Jaureguizar, & Machimbarrena, 2017). Although there is discrepancy about teachers’ accuracy when reporting students’ depressive symptoms, Achenbach, McConaughy, and Howell (1987) found statistically significant and moderate correlations between teachers’ reports and students’ self-reports. Stress has been identified as a very important factor related to depression, as it has been found that stress fre- quently precedes depression, both in clinical and community samples (see review of Hammen, 2005). However, as pointed out by Hammen (2005), one of the major unknowns still * J. Jaureguizar joana.jauregizar@ehu.eus 1 Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Faculty of Education of Bilbao, University of the Basque Country, Barrio Sarriena s/n, 48940 Lejona, Spain 2 Department of Personality, Assessment and Psychological Treatments, Faculty of Psychology, University of the Basque Country, Avda Tolosa 70, 20018 San Sebastián, Spain 3 Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Faculty of Education, Philosophy and Anthropology, University of the Basque Country, Plaza Oñati 3, 20018 San Sebastián, Spain