Role of Family Environment in Predicting Depression among Adolescents

The objective of this investigation was to analyze the relationship between family environment and depression among adolescent students. The study consisted 300 adolescent students (150 male & 150 female) selected through stratified random sampling. The age range of the sample group was between 14 to 17 years. They were taken from C.B.S.E. board schools of Ghaziabad city. The tools of the study, Family Environment Scale by Bhatia and Chadha and Cornell Medical Index Health Questionnaire by Wig, Pershad, and Verma, for Depression were used. Statistical analysis used for the present study were correlation and multiple regression. A significant negative correlation was found between family environment and depression among adolescent students in terms of family cohesion, expressiveness, acceptance and caring, independence, active-recreational orientation, organization and control except Conflict which was positively correlated to depression. In addition, three dimensions of family environment, i.e., independence, conflict and organization emerged as predictors of depression among adolescents in the present study.