Hi,

I am completing my research project on the association between early puberty and depression in late adolescence looking at the mediating role of behavioural problems.

From a longitudinal data set, i have early puberty scores, behavioural scores at age 14 and emotional scores at age 17 from the Strength and difficulties questionnaire

I'm using the baron and kenny mediation method

the regression of early puberty --> depression scores p = .049

early puberty --> behavoural scores (age 14) , p= .032

ep (iv) --> behaviour (iv) --> depression (dv) = .076.

so the interaction is no longer significant. am i correct in this is an example of full mediation??

From this article: https://sites.hofstra.edu/jeffrey-froh/wp-content/uploads/sites/86/2019/11/PSYCH-224-LAB-3.pdf

'Complete mediation is the case in which variable X no longer affects Y after M has been controlled and so path c' is zero. Partial mediation is the case in which the path from X to Y is reduced in absolute size ' so i am completely lost!

I'm confused as if i run behaviour --> depression i get p < .001. which i'm then not sure if i have a partial mediation?

Also - does full mediation then mean that the depression at age 17 is solely explained by behavioural problems at age 14? thanks

any help would be greatly appreciated