ScholarWorks@Y-Scholar Hub

초록

The purpose of this study was to examine the mediating effect of autonomy in the relationship between family differentiation and depression in college students in Korea. The participants of the study were 312 college students aged between 17 and 24 years, who enrolled in seven colleges located in Seoul and Gyung-gi, Korea. The students were asked to complete self-reported assessment scales on depression, differentiation in the family and autonomy. The data were analyzed by means of Structural equation modeling to investigate the mediating model. The results of this study were as follows. First, the level of autonomy had a significant negative influence on the level of depression whereas no significant direct influence of family differentiation on depression was found. Second, the level of autonomy fully mediated the relationship between family differentiation and depression. In conclusion, the higher the level of family differentiation, the higher the level of late adolescent’s autonomy, and consequently, the lower the depression. These results suggested that improving the level of family differentiation would play significant role in reducing college students’ depression indirectly through their autonomy.