Prospective and Contemporaneous Relations of Self-Esteem and Depressed Affect in the Context of Parent-Child Closeness during Adolescence: A Random-Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Model

Adolescent self-esteem and depression are influenced by important psychosocial factors such as parental relationships, yet it is unclear how these within-person relations present over time. The current study investigates the longitudinal relations between self-esteem, depressed affect, and parent-adolescent closeness during middle adolescence. Adolescents (n = 562; mean age = 14.73, SD = 0.82; 52% female; 72% White, 28% Racial Minority) were surveyed annually over four years (1988–1991). A random-intercept cross-lagged panel model was applied to disaggregate between- and within-person associations. Consistent with the scar model, adolescents experiencing heightened depressed affect were likely to have lower self-esteem. Furthermore, perceived mother-adolescent, but not father-adolescent, closeness positively predicted adolescent self-esteem. The results highlight the importance of considering interpersonal relationships and age in developmental models of self-esteem and depression.