The purpose of this study was to determine how family strengths, parent-adolescent communication, self-esteem, and loneliness were interrelated and how this interaction influenced depression of adolescents in Nebraska. The influence of age and gender on adolescent depression was also examined. Likewise, a causal model was developed to explicate the relationships among the variables affecting adolescent depression. The causal model was developed a priori and was tested with the adolescent data.

The basic design of the study consisted of cross-sectional sampling of the population with a written questionnaire for data collection. The data for testing the causal model for adolescent depression were obtained from a random sample of 156 adolescents who were attending public junior and senior high schools in Beatrice, Malcolm, Tecumseh, and Wahoo.

Cronbach's alpha was used to determine the reliability of the inventories used in this study. The alpha reliabilities for all of the instruments were highly satisfactory. The causal model of adolescent depression was analyzed using path analysis via the LISREL VII program. The results showed a good fit of the model to the data via a number of indicators. The findings indicated that loneliness and self-esteem had a direct effect on adolescent depression. Furthermore, self-esteem had an indirect effect on adolescent depression through loneliness. Age had a direct effect on adolescent depression. There was an indirect effect of age on adolescent depression through loneliness. Gender was significantly related to adolescent depression through self-esteem whereby males reported higher levels of self-esteem than females. Family strengths had an indirect effect on adolescent depression through self-esteem.

The theoretical causal model of depression that was tested with the adolescent data should provide professionals with greater understanding of adolescent depression. Furthermore, the findings from this study should assist nurses, physicians, therapists, and educators to identify adolescents who are depressed. Effective prevention and treatment require identification of those factors that are important in the etiology of adolescent depression.