This study examined the relationships between depression, family stress, and parent-adolescent communication among 165 poor adolescents. The major findings were 1) family stress was significantly related to depression 2) parent-adolescent communication was significantly related to depression and 3) the relationship between family stress and depression was buffered by parent-adolescent communication. In conclusion, depending on the level of parent-adolescent communication, the effects of family stress for poor adolescent on their depression is different. Parent-adolescent communication affects directly on depression and it is also a moderating variable. The implications and limitations are reviewed, as are the suggestions for future research.