Research report The impact of stress on depressive symptoms is moderated by social support in Chinese adolescents with subthreshold depression: A multi-wave longitudinal study Juan Yang a , Shuqiao Yao a, ⁎, Xiongzhao Zhu a , Chenchen Zhang a , Yu Ling a , John R.Z. Abela b , Petra G. Esseling b , Chad McWhinnie c a The Medical Psychological Research Center of the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, PR China b Rutgers University, Piscataway, USA c Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada article info abstract Article history: Received 11 October 2009 Received in revised form 21 April 2010 Accepted 22 April 2010 Background: Most studies have shown that negative life events and social support are important factors in the development and outcome of depression. It is unknown if these factors are important in adolescents with subthreshold depression. Thus, the current study examined whether high levels of social support from peers buffer adolescents exhibiting subthreshold depressive symptoms against experiencing further increases in such symptoms following the occurrence of negative events. Methods: Participants included 143 adolescents (aged 14 to 18; M= 16.07, SD = .66) in Hunan Province China who were selected because they were exhibiting subthreshold depressive symptoms at the time of initial assessment. During an initial assessment, participants completed measures assessing social support from peers and depressive symptoms. Participants subsequently completed measures assessing depressive symptoms and the occurrence of negative events once every three months for the subsequent fifteen months. Results: The prevalence of lifetime subthreshold depression in Hunan was 22.9% (n = 143). The results of hierarchical linear modeling analyses indicated that lower levels of social support from peers was associated with greater increases in depressive symptoms following the occurrence of negative events. Conclusions: The results suggested that the association between the occurrence of negative events and increased depressive symptoms is moderated by social support from peers in adolescents with subthreshold depression in mainland China, in line with the buffering hypothesis. Limitations: The adolescent sample used in the current study was from Hunan, China, which could limit the generalizability of our results to other populations. In addition, given that it is possible that cultural context shapes symptom manifestation, future research should assess a broader array of symptom outcomes. © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Keywords: Subthreshold depression Social support Adolescence China 1. Introduction Rapid modernization and social change have marked the last two decades in mainland China. As a consequence of this development, unprecedented competition in social and aca- demic environments has exposed Chinese adolescents to Journal of Affective Disorders 127 (2010) 113–121 ⁎ Corresponding author. The Medical Psychological Research Center of the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, PR China. Tel.: +86 731 85292130; fax: +86 731 85361328. E-mail address: Shuqiaoyao@163.com (S. Yao). 0165-0327/$ – see front matter © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2010.04.023 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Affective Disorders journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jad