Teachers as protectors : how their support influences the link between depression and peer relationship difficulties

The present study examined the moderating effect of teacher support on the relationship between depressive symptoms and peer relationship difficulties among 231 third, fourth and fifth grade students (M = 9.44 years). Self-report measures of depressive symptoms and perceived teacher support were obtained in the fall and teacher report measures of peer victimization and peer exclusion as well as sociometric measures of peer acceptance and popularity were obtained in the spring. A series of regression analyses provided support for a symptoms-driven model of depression and follow-up simple slope analyses revealed a moderation effect of depressive symptoms and teacher support in the fall on victimization and exclusion in the spring. Results suggest that teacher support may protect students displaying depressive symptoms from peer relationship difficulties and maladaptive social-emotional development