{
  "abstract": "BackgroundAdolescent depression and anxiety are major global health threats. As a core developmental microsystem, family environment strongly influences emotional states and subjective wellbeing (SWB). Few studies have explored whether affective symptoms mediate this association. Using data from treatment-seeking adolescents, we tested these mediating effects and gender differences.MethodsIn total, 1,284 adolescents recruited from a general hospital completed self-report questionnaires measuring family-environment indicators, including sibling status, parental marital quality (PMQ), family monthly income (FMI), family psychiatric history (FPH). Depressive and anxiety symptoms were assessed using PHQ-9 and GAD-7, while the total score of Adolescent Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale (ASLSS-T) and Family Life Satisfaction Subscale (ASLSS-FAM) served as SWB indicators.ResultsFemales reported higher PHQ-9/GAD-7 but lower ASLSS-T/FAM. PMQ correlated with lower PHQ-9/GAD-7 and higher ASLSS-T/FAM, whereas FPH correlated with more severe PHQ-9/GAD-7 and lower ASLSS-T/FAM. In full-sample mediation models, GAD-7 partially mediated PMQ–SWB and FPH–SWB associations; PHQ-9 fully mediated sibling status–ASLSS-T link and partially mediated pathways for PMQ and FPH. Descriptively among males, GAD-7 fully mediated the FPH–ASLSS-T association and both GAD-7 and PHQ-9 mediated FPH-related pathways. In females, GAD-7 showed no significant mediation, while only PHQ-9 partially mediated PMQ and FPH-ASLSS-T/FAM associations. Formal moderated-mediation analyses (PROCESS Model 59) revealed significant gender heterogeneity exclusively in FMI-to-SWB pathways via anxiety symptoms; most mediating pathways showed no significant gender differences.ConclusionThis study reveals that family environment is associated with SWB among treatment-seeking adolescents through the mediating effects of depressive and anxiety symptoms. These findings point to the possible utility of gender-differentiated, symptom-targeted family interventions in enhancing mental-health outcomes for at-risk treatment-seeking adolescents.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": "Original Research",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 8,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Xinfeng Li"
    },
    {
      "name": "Qin Li"
    },
    {
      "name": "Chen Zhang"
    },
    {
      "name": "Qianyu Wang"
    },
    {
      "name": "Jiayi Xu"
    },
    {
      "name": "Shunyu Liu"
    },
    {
      "name": "Ruitong Nie"
    },
    {
      "name": "Guoqing Zhao"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/c3vc6xa8jwzs0.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3389/fpubh.2026.1965162",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "c3vc6xa8jwzs0",
  "issns": [
    "2296-2565"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1965162",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "feed-journal",
      "medicine/epidemiology-public-health"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": null,
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-11-10",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/c3vc6xa8jwzs0.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-10T06:20:58Z",
      "native_id": "10.3389/fpubh.2026.1965162",
      "source": "feed-frontiers",
      "url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1965162"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "feed-journal:medicine/epidemiology-public-health",
      "subfield": "epidemiology-public-health"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Family environment and subjective wellbeing in adolescents: the mediating roles of anxiety and depressive symptoms",
  "title_text": "Family environment and subjective wellbeing in adolescents: the mediating roles of anxiety and depressive symptoms",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-10T06:20:58Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/c3vc6xa8jwzs0",
  "venue": "Frontiers in Public Health",
  "versions": []
}