Does anxiety consistently affect the achievement goals of college students? A four-wave longitudinal investigation from China

Factors affecting the wellbeing of mid-achieving university students: a case study from China

Background

The study aims to investigate the wellbeing of mid-achieving university students on campus and the factors affecting it. Given that this group represents a large yet often overlooked portion of higher education, the study endeavors to analyze the specific factors affecting their wellbeing to provide insights to foster a more comprehensive and inclusive educational environment.

Methodology

The study adopted a qualitative research method. A total of 30 mid-achieving university students from different departments at Guizhou Medical University in China were interviewed in-depth. The interviews were conducted via the online WeChat platform from 1st March 2024 to 13th September 2024. The semi-structured interviews focused on "moments in campus life that make mid-achieving university students feel happy or joyful." All interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed into text, which was thoroughly coded and analyzed by the researcher using NVIVO 12 software to comprehensively assess the multiple factors that affect the wellbeing of students.

Results

The wellbeing of mid-achieving university students is affected by a combination of factors, including freedom and autonomy, social interactions, collective activities, campus environment and facilities, and academic achievement.

Conclusion

Enhancing the autonomy of mid-achieving university students can significantly improve their self-efficacy and overall wellbeing. While social interactions and collective activities provide emotional support, they also present interpersonal challenges. Sufficient recreational spaces and a diverse range of food options on campus can help alleviate students' stress and increase their satisfaction with campus services. Conversely, policies banning motorized bicycles may negatively affect students' sense of wellbeing. Theoretically, the study contributes to the literature on student wellbeing in higher education psychology, particularly by offering a deeper understanding of the large but often neglected group of mid-achieving students. Practically, the findings emphasize the importance of creating more supportive and responsive educational environments tailored to the needs of these students, thereby facilitating inclusive campus environments and fully harnessing the learning potential of mid-achieving students. The study also proposes specific improvement strategies, such as optimizing campus facilities, enhancing student autonomy, and bolstering social and academic support systems. These measures are expected to directly improve the daily experiences of mid-achieving students and enhance their overall wellbeing.

Achievement motivation and mental health among medical postgraduates: the chain mediating effect of self-esteem and perceived stress

Introduction

Medical postgraduates generally experience high levels of depression and anxiety. Previous studies have investigated the impact of various achievement motivations on depression/anxiety among medical students.

Methods

This study focused on self-esteem and perceived stress, examining the internal mechanisms through which achievement motivation affects depression/anxiety. 530 medical postgraduate students (66.04% female and 33.96% male) were administered the Achievement Goal Orientation Scale, Self-Esteem Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, and Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale.

Results

Results indicated that: (1) mastery-approach goals were negatively correlated with depression/anxiety; mastery-avoidance goals were positively correlated with depression/anxiety; performance-avoidance goals positively predicted depression/anxiety; (2) self-esteem mediated the relationship between achievement motivation and depression/anxiety; (3) perceived stress played a mediating role in the relationship between achievement motivation and depression/anxiety; (4) self-esteem and perceived stress played a chain mediating role in the relationship between achievement motivation and depression/anxiety; (5) there was no significant linear correlation between mastery-approach goals and depression/anxiety.

Discussion

Although this study employed a cross-sectional design and self-report scales, both of which have certain limitations, the findings still hold significant theoretical and practical implications. The research reveals a mediating pathway between achievement goals and mental health, offering new insights into mental health education for medical graduate students.

Exploring the Interplay between Stress Perception and Approach-Avoidance Achievement Goal Orientation among Rural Students in College: A Longitudinal Study in China

The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between stress perception and achievement goals among rural college students in China. Using a two-wave random intercept cross-lagged model, this study analyzed data from a longitudinal survey conducted at 15 public universities in Beijing. First, there was a significant decline in stress levels among Chinese rural students from their junior to senior years. Second, the achievement goal orientations of these students remained relatively stable during the period. Third, while no significant association was found between approach goals and stress perception, a clear positive reciprocal relationship emerged between avoidance goals and stress perception. These results suggest that educators should focus on alleviating the stress experienced by rural college students through academic, employment, and interpersonal support to break the vicious cycle of stress perception and avoidance goal orientation. Future research should further explore the influence of diverse group characteristics and emotional states on these outcomes.

A Special Issue Introduction: The Intersection of Metacognition and Intelligence

What makes someone intelligent [...].

Longitudinal trajectories of self-esteem, related predictors, and impact on depression among students over a four-year period at college in China

Self-esteem plays a crucial role in the psychological development of college students. Based on four-wave longitudinal data, this study empirically investigated the longitudinal trajectories of self-esteem, related predictors, and the impact on depression in a sample of Chinese college students. Piecewise growth mixture modeling was utilized to identify potential self-esteem trajectories. Furthermore, multinomial logistic regression models were employed along with the Kruskal‒Wallis test to analyze the factors that influence self-esteem development trajectories and assess variations in depression. The results showed that college students’ self-esteem trajectories can be divided into three categories: slowly decreasing (81.04%), rising then falling (16.94%), and falling then rising (2.02%). Various personal factors (e.g. ethnicity, family residence, self-reported health status, extroversion) and socioeconomic factors (e.g. closeness with classmates, family economic level, family social status, and the mother’s educational level) can influence the classification of students’ self-esteem development trajectories. Moreover, notable differences in depression were observed among students in different self-esteem trajectory groups. The results emphasize the imperative of implementing interventions to enhance self-esteem among college students.

More romantic or more realistic: trajectories and influencing factors of romantic love among Chinese college students from entering college to graduation

College is a significant transition in the growth of individuals, and romantic relationships play an important role in the future development of individuals. Understanding young people’s attitudes toward love is helpful for formulating strategies to guide them to form correct attitudes toward love, promote the formation of positive and healthy attitudes toward marriage and life. This study aimed to explore the trajectories of college students’ attitudes toward love, reveal the development law of their attitudes toward love, and identify the influencing factors that lead to changes in their attitudes toward love. Descriptive and correlation analyses were performed on participants’ attitudes toward love, followed by utilization of a growth mixture model to explore latent trajectory classes and a multinomial logistic regression model to analyze influencing factors across trajectories.The results indicated that romantic attitudes could be divided into three groups: “high-increasing”, “low-decreasing” and “low-increasing”, and realistic attitudes could be divided into three groups: “high-increasing”, “low-increasing” and “high-decreasing”. Gender, major, extroversion, and hometown location were factors influencing whether students fell into different trajectory classes. Overall, society and colleges should pay more attention to changes in college students’ attitudes toward love, provide timely intervention and guidance, and prevent them from suffering from behavioral, physical, and psychological problems.

Bidirectional reduction effects of perceived stress and general self-efficacy among college students: a cross-lagged study

Perceived stress and general self-efficacy are important issues closely related to the mental health and academic performance of college students. Previous studies have explored the correlation between perceived stress and general self-efficacy, but the understanding of the reciprocal effects of these two factors is still limited. Based on two-wave longitudinal data, this study investigated the bidirectional relationship between perceived stress and general self-efficacy in a sample of Chinese college students. The correlation results showed that perceived stress was significantly negatively correlated with general self-efficacy. Furthermore, by cross-lagged analysis, it was found that perceived stress can significantly negatively predict subsequent general self-efficacy and that general self-efficacy can significantly negatively predict subsequent perceived stress. Bidirectional reduction effects between perceived stress and general self-efficacy are observed among Chinese college students. The results emphasize the necessity of timely stress intervention for college students and the establishment of measures to enhance general self-efficacy.

Perceived discrimination, anxiety and mood disorders among university students during the COVID-19 era: evidence from a cross-sectional survey in a Ghanaian public university

Introduction

Before 2020 and the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, mental disorders, including anxiety and mood disorders, were considered the leading causes of the global disease burden. There is evidence from multiple countries and social contexts that suggest the high risk of anxiety and mood disorders among students. Yet, there is a knowledge gap concerning understanding the association between the experience of discrimination and the risk of anxiety and mood disorders. We examined the association between the experience of discrimination and the risk of anxiety and mood disorders among university students.

Methods

This study is a cross-sectional survey among university students in Ghana. A quota sampling technique was used to recruit 1,601 students. Data were collected using structured questionnaires. All data were analyzed using Stata. Binary logistic regression model was used to examine the significant association between the outcome variable and the explanatory variables.

Results

The prevalence of anxiety disorder among the respondents was 67 per cent. Students who had experienced discrimination or had any member of their family experienced discrimination had higher odds (OR = 4.59, Cl = 2.64, 7.96) of anxiety and mood disorder compared to those who had not experienced any form of discrimination. Respondents aged 20-24 years had higher odds (OR = 1.47, Cl = 1.16, 1.85) of anxiety and mood disorder than those aged 15-19. Students with a high perceived risk of contracting COVID-19 had a higher odd (OR = 1.52, CI = 1.10, 2.10) compared to those with a low perceived risk.

Conclusion

The findings underscore a need for university authorities to lay out clear initiatives that will reinforce and meet the mental health needs of university students during and after periods of crisis, such as returning from COVID-19 lockdown. There must be a conscious effort to advocate and raise students' awareness of anxiety disorders. Also, it is imperative to create support groups within the university set up to address the mental health needs of all students. Younger students should be the primary focus of these interventions.

Examining social anxiety and dual aspects of social comparison orientation: the moderating role of self-evaluation of social skills

Introduction

Social comparison orientation comprises ability comparison, which entails superior and inferior ratings; and opinion comparison, which does not include such ratings. Previous research on negative emotions and the social rank theory of social anxiety indicates that social anxiety is positively associated with ability comparison. This is particularly true of individuals with a stronger sense of inferiority (e.g., lower self-evaluation of their social skills). Nevertheless, the relationship between the two aspects of social comparison orientation and social anxiety remains unclear.

Methods

Two hundred thirty-eight individuals (Mage = 40.53 ± 9.78 years, 50.4% men) participated in an online cross-sectional survey questionnaire.

Results

Social anxiety was positively correlated with ability comparison but not opinion comparison. The relationship between social anxiety in situations observed by others and ability comparison was stronger for individuals with lower (vs. higher) self-rated social skills.

Discussion

This study showed that the two types of social comparison are differentially related to social anxiety. The findings support the social rank theory of social anxiety, which states that social comparisons involving superior and inferior ratings lead to social anxiety owing to the perception of one's inferiority. Making such social comparisons can result in heightened social anxiety, particularly for individuals with low self-evaluations of social skills. The results indicate the importance of these social comparisons in the emergence and persistence of social anxiety. Furthermore, the potential of interventions based on mindfulness, compassion, social media, and video feedback in mitigating the negative effects of such social comparisons is discussed.

Developmental trajectories of depression, anxiety, and stress among college students: a piecewise growth mixture model analysis

Mental health issues are becoming increasingly common among college students, but not all students follow the same developmental trends of mental health. This study aims to identify the developmental trajectories of depression, anxiety, and stress among college students and the related factors for different trajectory classes. The data were collected from a longitudinal survey of college students over four consecutive years, and 2473 students were included in the analysis. The study used a piecewise growth mixture model to determine the subtrajectories, and a multinomial logistic regression model was constructed to investigate the related factors affecting students in subtrajectories. The results revealed that subtrajectories include the low and stable class, increasing class, decreasing then stable class, increasing then decreasing class, and decreasing and high class. The decreasing and high class only presents in the trajectories of anxiety and stress. Regarding related factors, high BMI and high sleep hours were identified as related factors for the increasing class of depression; gender and high sleep hours were associated with the increasing class of anxiety; and hometown location was related to the increasing class of stress. Extroversion personality, relationship with classmates, siblings, and father’s education level are related factors for other subtrajectories. Considering that college students experience multiple trajectories of depression, anxiety, and stress, mental health education and psychological intervention should be carried out for students in each class.

Does Subjective Well-Being Improve Self-Rated Health from Undergraduate Studies to Three Years after Graduation in China?

The health status of emerging adults is at risk. Although subjective well-being is one of the factors closely associated with health, their longitudinal relationship is not clear among emerging adults. The study aimed to investigate the prospective relationship between self-rated health and subjective well-being in emerging adults. The study collected longitudinal data from a total of 1021 Chinese college students (537 males and 484 females) for five years, including two years in college and three years after graduation. In the baseline survey, the average age of the sample was 21.57 years old. Descriptive statistics indicated that both self-rated health and subjective well-being significantly decreased from the senior year of college to the year after graduation. Correlation analysis revealed that self-rated health and subjective well-being had a significant positive relationship. In the five-wave random intercept cross-lagged panel model, subjective well-being unidirectionally predicted self-rated health. In other words, the subjective well-being in the previous year could positively predict self-rated health in the following year, but the previous self-rated health could not predict subsequent subjective well-being. Given the significance of emerging adulthood to individual development, more attention and care should be dedicated to improving subjective well-being so as to maintain good health and engagement in work.

Understanding the Role of Parent‒Child Relationships in Conscientiousness and Neuroticism Development among Chinese Middle School Students: A Cross-Lagged Model

The parent‒child relationship is a crucial factor in promoting adolescent mental health. However, the current evidence on the relationship between parent‒child relationships and adolescent conscientiousness and neuroticism, as well as the directionality of these relationships, remains limited. In particular, there is a lack of analysis focusing on Chinese middle school students. Based on a sample of 8437 students from the China Education Panel Survey (CEPS) database, this study empirically examined the bidirectional relationships between parent‒child relationships, conscientiousness and neuroticism among Chinese middle school students, with specific emphasis on the significant role of parent‒child relationships in the development of conscientiousness and neuroticism. Descriptive statistical results indicated that during the seventh and eighth grades of Chinese middle school students, the closeness of their parent‒child relationships with both parents decreased, while the level of conscientiousness showed a slight decrease, and neuroticism showed an increasing trend. Correlational results demonstrated a significant positive correlation between parent‒child relationships and conscientiousness and a significant negative correlation between parent‒child relationships and neuroticism. Further analysis using cross-lagged models revealed that parent‒child relationships significantly positively predicted subsequent conscientiousness development, and conscientiousness significantly positively predicted subsequent parent‒child relationships. Parent‒child relationships significantly negatively predicted subsequent neuroticism development, and neuroticism levels also significantly negatively predicted subsequent parent‒child relationships. Based on these findings, we believe that there is a need to strengthen parent‒child relationships and to recognize the important role that both mothers and fathers play in the healthy development of their children. Both parents should actively contribute to their children's upbringing and take responsibility for their family education.

Career Education Skills and Career Adaptability among College Students in China: The Mediating Role of Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy

In the past, the shift in career patterns and the unprecedented disruptions caused by events such as COVID-19 have posed notable challenges for job seekers. This holds particularly true for college students who are preparing to enter the workforce. In this context, enhancing career adaptability plays a vital role in shaping their career development. The primary objective of this research was to investigate the relationship between career education skills and career adaptability among 273 undergraduate students in China. Additionally, the study aimed to explore the mediating effect of career decision-making self-efficacy in shaping this relationship. The findings of the correlation analysis indicate a significant positive correlation between career education skills and career adaptability. Moreover, the results of the mediation model revealed that career education skills significantly contribute to improving career adaptability along with the mediating effect of college students' self-efficacy in making career decisions. This study suggests that universities should prioritize the development and expansion of career education initiatives. They should not only help establish clear career goals for college students but also cultivate a positive and flexible career outlook to assist them in better adapting to various changes that may arise throughout their career journeys.