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Abstract
Social relationships with parents and friends, depression, and the mediating role of self‐esteem between relationships and depression were studied among 115 adolescents with visual impairments attending regular Finnish schools. The control group consisted of normally sighted classmates of visually impaired adolescents (N=607). The data were collected using a self‐report questionnaire.
The results showed no significant difference in the prevalence of depression between visually impaired adolescents and the control group. However, there was a trend toward an excessive risk of depression among girls with visual impairments compared to girls without visual impairments. In addition to being male, higher scores of relationships with friends was an important protective factor against depression among adolescents with visual impairments. The impact of relationships with friends, on depressive symptoms was mediated through self‐esteem. Unlike in controls, relationships with parents was not an explanatory factor of depression in adolescents with visual impairments. The mechanisms and processes explaining the various effects of relationships with parents and friends on self‐esteem and depression need further investigation through longitudinal studies.