Relationship of Depression, Family Environment and Self Concept among Adolescents

Depression in adolescence has become a subject of considerable research over the past few decades. Various risk factors have been linked to depression in adolescents, comprising of social factors, family environment, personality type, self concept and genetic factors along with stressful events. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship among depression, family environment and self concept of adolescents. The sample consisted of 200 adolescents (100 males and 100 females) of age group 14 -17 years, studying in the secondary schools of Ambala. Mental Depression Scale (Dubey, 2006), Family Environment Scale (Bhatia and Chadha, 1993) and Self Concept Questionnaire (Saraswat, 2010) were used to collect data. Results revealed that depression is negatively and significantly correlated with four dimensions of family environment namely cohesion, active recreational orientation, independence and organization whereas it is positively correlated with conflict in the family. Significant differences were found in the family environment and self concept of adolescents scoring high and low on depression.