Self-Disclosure in Friendships as the Moderator of the Association Between Peer Victimization and Depressive Symptoms in Overweight Adolescents

The objective of the study was to examine the effects of self-disclosure in best friendships on the pathway from peer victimization to depressive symptoms as mediated by self-esteem for physical appearance (SEPA) in overweight adolescents. Utilizing data from 610 French-speaking Canadian adolescents in Grades 7 and 8, the current study examined self-reports of peer victimization, SEPA, self-disclosure in their best friendship, and depressive symptoms and researcher measured height and weight during two time periods over 1 year in overweight adolescents (n = 137). Self-disclosure in friendships buffered the link between peer victimization and depressive symptoms in overweight adolescents. In addition, the protective effect of self-disclosure for the overweight adolescents was through the indirect pathway through SEPA.