Depressive symptoms among first-year Chinese undergraduates: The roles of socio-demographics, coping style, and social support

Epidemiology of depressive disorders among youth during Gaokao to college in China: results from Hunan Normal University mental health survey

BACKGROUND

Given the serious consequences of depression and the lack of information about it during the crucially developmental period from the National College Entrance Exam (CEE, i.e., Chinese gaokao) to college, this study aimed to estimate the cumulative incidence, prevalence, age of onset, correlates, and service use of depressive disorders (DDs) among youth who passed the CEE and were enrolled at Hunan Normal University in China.

METHODS

A two-stage cross-sectional epidemiological survey of DDs was conducted from October to December, 2017 among 6,922 incoming college students (98.5% effective response, N = 6,818, 71.4% female, age range: 16-25 years, mean age = 18.6). Using a stratified sampling method based on the risk of depression, 926 participants (mean age = 18.5, 75.2% female) were selected and subsequently interviewed with the Kiddie-Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Present and lifetime version (K-SADS-PL).

RESULTS

The sex-adjusted 9-month (i.e., 3 months pre-CEE, 3 months after CEE, and 3 months post-matriculation) incidence of new-onset DDs was 2.3% (standard error [S.E.] 0.3%), and the sex-adjusted 1-month, 6-month and lifetime prevalence were 0.7 (S.E. 0.3%), 1.7 (S.E. 0.2%) and 7.5% (S.E. 1.3%), respectively. The median age of onset was 17 (interquartile range: 16-18) years. Critically, over one-third (36.5%, S.E. 0.6) of depressed youth had their new onset during the 9-month period. The risk factors for depression included having mothers with higher education, experiencing major life events, being female, and experiencing parental divorce or death. The adjusted lifetime treatment rate was 8.7%.

CONCLUSION

The 9-month incidence of new-onset depression from gaokao to college among the youth sample in China is similar to the global annual incidence (3.0%), but the 1-month and lifetime prevalence are significantly lower than the global point (7.2%) and lifetime prevalence (19%). These findings suggest a high proportion of new-onset depression during the CEE to college among the sample youth in China. The risk of depression is associated with familial and stress correlates. Low treatment is a serious concern. Emphasis on early prevention and available treatment for adolescent and young adult depression is a critical need in China.

A cross-lagged study of the associations among problematic smartphone use, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation in chinese university students

The present study aimed to investigate the longitudinal and reciprocal relationships among problematic smartphone use (PSU), depressive symptoms (DS), and suicidal ideation (SI) in Chinese university students. Using a cross-lagged design, the Mobile Phone Addiction Inventory Scale, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, and the Self-Rating Idea of Suicide Scale as research instruments, 194 university students completed a questionnaire four consecutive times. June of Year 1, December of Year 2, June of Year 2, and December of Year 3 of their college study. We refer to these as the Time 1 (T1), Time 2 (T2), Time 3 (T3), and Time 4 (T4) assessments, respectively. The levels of PSU and DS fluctuated significantly over time. DS at T1 was significantly predicted to influence SI at T2 (β = 0.17, p < .05); DS at T3 was significantly predicted by PSU and by SI at T2 (respectively, β = 0.30, p < .05; β = 0.21, p < .05); DS at T2 significantly predicted PSU at T3 (β = 0.14, p < .05); and DS at T3 significantly predicted SI at T4 (β = 0.14, p < .05) in the cross-lagged pathway. DS at T3 fully mediated the relationship between PSU at T2 and SI at T4 (indirect effect: β = 0.133, 95% CI = [0.063, 0.213]). The results suggest that there is a reciprocal relationship between PSU and DS and, furthermore, that DS plays an important mediating role between PSU and SI. Our results suggest the importance of early identification and treatment of SI. Timely reduction of PSU and improvement of DS among university students may help prevent SI.

Related factors to the coping style of patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss

BACKGROUND

Coping style can affect the patient's physical and mental health management. Therefore this study aimed to identify factors related to the coping style of young and middle-aged sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) patients to provide reference for clinical nursing practice.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted on young and middle-aged SSNHL patients hospitalized in the otolaryngology departments of four hospitals in Suzhou City, China. A paper-based self-administered questionnaire investigated the patient's coping style and related factors. Multiple linear stepwise regression analysed the effective related factors in patients' coping styles.

RESULTS

Among 872 patients, 866 completed the survey, with an average age of 37.27 y. Factors related to the coping style of these patients included gender, chronic diseases, history of trauma, social support and type D personality (p<0.05). Female patients adopt more negative coping styles than male patients. Patients with chronic diseases or a history of trauma had more positive coping styles. Higher social support scores were related to improvements in coping style. Patients with type D personality were more likely to adopt negative coping styles.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that psychological assessment of patients, chronic diseases, history of trauma, social support and type D personality may benefit the understanding of these patients' coping styles and, as a consequence, may improve their stress management.

Association between bullying victimization, coping style, and mental health problems among Chinese adolescents

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to examine the association of bullying victimization with anxiety and depressive symptoms among Chinese adolescents and explored the role of coping styles in the foregoing associations.

METHOD

Data were drawn from the 2019 School-based Chinses Adolescents Health Survey (n = 19,809). Information about bullying victimization, coping styles, anxiety symptoms, and depressive symptoms were measured. Linear mixed-effects models were performed.

RESULTS

After adjusting for covariates, verbal victimization (β = 1.94 for anxiety symptoms; β = 4.62 for depressive symptoms), relational victimization (β = 3.40 for anxiety symptoms; β = 8.37 for depressive symptoms), physical victimization (β = 2.63 for anxiety symptoms; β = 6.07 for depressive symptoms) and cyber victimization (β = 4.68 for anxiety symptoms; β = 10.72 for depressive symptoms) were associated with anxiety and depressive symptoms. Moreover, the severity of anxiety and depressive symptoms tended to increase with the number of victimization types. The interaction effects between bullying victimization and coping style on anxiety and depressive symptoms were significant. Further stratified analyses by coping styles indicated that the association of relational and cyber victimization on anxiety and depressive symptoms were significantly stronger in adolescents with negative coping style than in those with positive coping style.

LIMITATIONS

Causal inference is limited due to the cross-sectional design.

CONCLUSION

Bullying victimization is associated with anxiety and depressive symptoms, and coping styles may play a moderate role in these associations. Interventions to promote mental health could focus on developing positive coping styles, particularly among adolescents with bullying victimization.

A bidirectional association between smartphone addiction and depression among college students: A cross-lagged panel model

Background

Smartphone addiction (SA) is associated with adverse consequences, especially for freshmen. Evidence indicates that SA is associated with depression, and it is necessary to conduct a longitudinal study to explore the association further.

Methods

SA (measured by the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version) and depression (measured by the Zung's Self-Rating Depression Scale) among 1,186 freshmen were surveyed at baseline and a respective 12-month follow-up for each participant. The application of a cross-lagged panel model approach (CLPM) revealed an association between SA and depression after adjusting for demographic variables.

Results

The CLPM results showed a significant path from baseline SA to follow-up depression (β = 0.08, P < 0.001) and a significant path from baseline depression to follow-up SA (β = 0.08, P < 0.001). Compared with the overall cross-lagged model, the cross-lagged coefficient of the path from baseline SA to follow-up depression increased in the female group (β = 0.10, P = 0.015), and the cross-lagged coefficient of the path from baseline depression to follow-up SA also increased significantly (β = 0.15, P < 0.001). In contrast, the cross-lagged model in the male group showed no predictive effect between SA and depression (P > 0.05).

Conclusions

The current study showed a significant bidirectional association between smartphone addiction and depression among freshmen, but only in the female population.

Gender differences in association of urbanization with psychological stress in Chinese adults: A population-based study

Objective

To investigate the gender-specific associations between exposure to urbanization and psychological stress in China experiencing rapid urbanization.

Methods

Data were obtained from the 2015 China Health and Nutrition Survey. A total of 4,388 men and 5,098 women aged at least 18 years were obtained from 288 communities across 12 provinces and municipalities. Tertiles of the urbanization index, summarizing 12 urbanization dimensions at the community level, were used to define low, medium, and high levels of urbanization. The psychological stress was measured based on the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale. The gender-stratified multilevel analysis (Level-1: Individuals, Level-2: Communities, and Level-3: provinces/municipalities) was used to estimate the association between exposure to urbanization and psychological stress.

Results

After controlling for age, education status, marital status, work status, household income per capita, current smoking, alcohol drinking, sleep duration, BMI, and chronic conditions, the urbanization index was negatively associated with psychological stress in women (P _trend = 0.017) but not men (P _trend = 0.476). More specifically, a one-standard deviation increase in the score of community population density (β = -0.329, P = 0.329), modern markets (β = -0.247, P = 0.044), education (β = -0.448, P = 0.002), and housing (β = -0.380, P = 0.005) was negatively associated with psychological stress only in women, separately.

Conclusion

Our data revealed that living in the most urbanized communities is associated with lower levels of psychological stress for women but not men. Thus, this study can help empower decision-makers to accurately target vulnerable communities and plan effective strategies to address psychological outcomes.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on psychological distress and biological rhythm in China’s general population: A path analysis model

Objective

When facing major emergency public accidents, men and women may react differently. Our research aimed to assess the influence of gender difference on social support, information preference, biological rhythm, psychological distress, and the possible interaction among these factors during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, 3,237 respondents aged 12 years and older finished the online survey. Levels of social support, information preference, biological rhythm, and psychological distress were assessed using validated scales. A path analysis was conducted to explore possible associations among these variables.

Results

The path analysis indicated that women with high levels of social support had a lower possibility of biological rhythm disorders and lower levels of somatization symptoms of psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. The influence of social support on somatization symptoms was exerted via biological rhythm. Women tended to believe both negative and positive information, while men preferred more extreme information.

Conclusion

Our results highlighted gender difference in study variables during the COVID-19 pandemic and the importance of social support in alleviating psychological distress and biological rhythm disorders. Moreover, we confirmed that information preference differed significantly by somatization symptoms of psychological distress, suggesting extra efforts to provide more individualized epidemic information. Longitudinal research is required to further explore casual inferences.

Affective Representation of Early Relationships with Parents and Current Anxiety and Depression

Research on the role of early relationships with parents on youth's anxiety and depression, especially in collectivist societies such as China, is limited. To fill this gap, we investigated the unique role of early relationship with mothers and fathers, respectively, in Chinese youth's anxiety and depression outcomes. The participants were 347 Chinese college students from 20 provinces. They first separately rated the frequency of experiencing 13 emotions (e.g., anger) from recalling early relationships with their mothers and fathers, then completed the Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale and the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale. Logistic regression was performed to determine the unique contribution of early relationships with mothers and fathers, respectively, to the participants' clinical-level anxiety and depression. Based on the final model of our logistical regression, we found that an increase in negative affective representation of early relationship with the mother was associated with a higher likelihood of clinical level anxiety (OR = 3.58; 95% CI = 1.32-9.70), while an increase in positive affective representation of early relationship with the mother was associated with a lower likelihood of clinical-level depression (OR = 0.47; 95% CI = 0.25-0.87). Furthermore, an increase in negative affective representation of early relationship with the father was associated with a higher likelihood of clinical-level anxiety (OR = 3.36; 95% CI = 1.37-8.26) and depression (OR = 3.68; 95% CI = 1.59-8.52), above and beyond their affective representation of early relationship with the mother.

The efficacy and optimal matching of an Internet-based acceptance and commitment therapy intervention for depressive symptoms among university students: A randomized controlled trial in China

OBJECTIVE

The present study tested the efficacy of an unguided internet-based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (iACT) program for depression, and identified the psychological characteristics of participants who benefitted the most from the program.

METHOD

Undergraduate students with mild to severe symptoms of depression were randomized to the iACT group (n = 95) or the waiting-list group (WLC group; n = 87). Depressive symptoms and positive mental health were assessed at baseline (T₀ ), at the end of the 6-week program (T₁ ), and at a 3-month follow-up (T₂ ).

RESULTS

Compared with the WLC group, the iACT group showed significantly more improvement in depressive symptoms (d = 1.27) and positive mental health (d = 0.59), both at T₁ and T₂ . Latent Profile Analysis identified three classes of participants: Sensitive-to-Relationship, Low-Reactive-Depression, and Endogenous-Depression group. In general, the treatment was particularly suitable for the Sensitive-to-Relationship class.

CONCLUSION

The iACT was effective in treating the depressive symptoms of undergraduates, especially suitable for the clients with high baseline depression, high externality, high resistance, and high sensitivity to relationships.

Extraversion and Neuroticism on College Freshmen's Depressive Symptoms During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Mediating Role of Social Support

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to explore the direct effects of extraversion and neuroticism on college freshmen's depressive symptoms and their indirect effects via social support under the background of COVID-19.

METHOD

A total of 3,563 college freshmen were surveyed using the extraversion and neuroticism scales of the Chinese version of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ), the Chinese version of the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), and the Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS). Partial correlation analyses and regression analyses were used.

RESULTS

(1) Extraversion had a significant and negative predictive effect on depressive symptoms, while neuroticism positively predicted depressive symptoms. The interaction effect between extraversion and neuroticism on depressive symptoms was also significant. Neuroticism had a greater impact on depressive symptoms in college freshmen with low levels of extraversion. (2) Furthermore, social support partially mediated the relationships between extraversion and depressive symptoms, and neuroticism and depressive symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Extraversion and neuroticism can directly affect college freshmen' s depressive symptoms, and have indirect effects via the mediating role of social support. Additionally, extraversion interacts with neuroticism, and extraversion plays a protective role in the effect of neuroticism on depressive symptoms. These findings help identify college freshmen at high risk of depression and design effective prevention or intervention measures for them.

Interpersonal sensitivity on college freshmen's depression: A moderated moderation model of psychological capital and family support

BACKGROUND

The prevalence of depressive symptoms has become very high among college freshmen, with interpersonal sensitivity serving as an important predictor of depression. Combining internal and external positive resources can effectively prevent and alleviate depression. This study explores the moderating role of psychological capital (PsyCap) in the relationship between interpersonal sensitivity and depression, as well as the moderating effect of familial support on the conditional influence of PsyCap among Chinese college freshmen.

METHODS

A cross-sectional mental health survey was performed and the anonymous self-reported questionnaires, including the Patient Health Questionnaire, interpersonal sensitivity subscale of Symptom Checklist-90, Psychological Capital Questionnaire 24, and Perceived Social Support from Family, were distributed to the freshmen. Pearson's coefficient was employed to describe correlations between variables. The PROCESS macro and slope difference tests were used to explore the moderating role of PsyCap and family support in the relationship between interpersonal sensitivity and depression.

RESULTS

The prevalence of depression among freshmen was 30.89% (694/2,247). The correlation analysis revealed that depression negatively related to PsyCap (r = -0.187, p < 0.001) and family support (r = -0.193, p < 0.001) and positively related to interpersonal sensitivity (r = 0.399, p < 0.001). The moderation analysis showed that PsyCap negatively moderated the positive relationship between interpersonal sensitivity and depression (β = -0.159, p < 0.001). We also found that family support played a moderating role in the conditional influence of PsyCap (β = 0.076, p < 0.01). The slope difference test further showed that family support weakened the effect of interpersonal sensitivity on depression in freshmen when they had low PsyCap.

CONCLUSION

More attention should be paid to freshmen's mental health and interpersonal interaction problems. For freshmen with interpersonal sensitivity and depression, mental health departments can conduct PsyCap development interventions to alleviate psychological symptoms. Freshmen themselves should also seek family support in time, but those individuals with high PsyCap should seek an appropriate level of family support to maintain their autonomy.

Possible Avoidant Personality Disorder Magnifies the Association Between Bullying Victimization and Depressive Symptoms Among Chinese University Freshmen

BACKGROUND

Bullying victimization has been associated with depressive symptoms in Chinese university students. This study examined the moderating effect of possible avoidant personality disorder (APD) on association between bullying victimization and depressive symptoms in university freshmen.

METHODS

A total of 1,453 freshmen were recruited from a comprehensive university in Wuhan, China, and administered a self-report questionnaire. The APD subscale of Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-Version 4 and Beck Depression Inventory were used to measure the presence of possible APD and depressive symptoms, respectively. The moderating effect of possible APD was examined by testing the statistical significance of the interaction between victimization and possible APD in multiple logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 24.8%. In multiple logistic regression analysis, the interaction between bullying victimization and possible APD was significantly associated with depressive symptoms (OR: 1.80, P = 0.029). Subsequent subgroup analyses according to the status of possible APD showed that, the victimization-depression association was stronger among freshmen with possible APD (OR: 3.23, P < 0.001) than those without possible APD (OR: 1.82, P = 0.001).

CONCLUSION

In Chinese university freshmen, bullying victimization is significantly associated with depressive symptoms, and possible APD magnifies the victimization-depression association. Bullied freshmen, particularly freshmen with possible APD, could be considered as the target group of campus-based depression intervention programs.

Trajectory of first-year students’ depressive mood after the transition to high school: The role of personality dimensions

This short-term longitudinal study investigated the developmental trajectory of first-year students’ depressive mood and the role of personality dimensions after the transition to high school. Chinese first-year high school students (251 males, 295 females) completed surveys to determine depressive mood and personality dimensions. The latent growth modeling results were as follows: participants’ depressive mood increased linearly after the transition to high school, and the intercept and slope of depressive mood were insignificantly correlated; neuroticism significantly and positively predicted the intercept and slope of depressive mood; extraversion, openness, and conscientiousness negatively and significantly predicted the intercept of depressive mood, but insignificantly predicted the slope; and agreeableness did not predict the intercept or slope of depressive mood. Overall, first-year students’ depressive mood increased linearly and personality dimensions differently predict depressive mood during this period.

The influence of family therapy on psychological stress and social adaptability of depressed patients

BACKGROUND

with the increase of study and life pressure, the number of depressed college students showed an increasing trend year by year, and the drug treatment alone could not achieve a comprehensive recovery of depression patients, so it was more necessary to pay attention to the spiritual treatment.

OBJECTIVE

this research aimed to better understand the relationship between college students' depression and life events, social support, psychological pressure, and coping style, and the influence of systematic family therapy on depression degree, psychological stress, and social adaptability of college students with depression.

METHODS

in this study, 105 college students with depression were selected as the research object, and healthy college students were taken as the control group. Through questionnaire, the differences in life events, social support, psychological stress, and coping styles between the groups were compared. The correlation between the degree of depression and various variables were analyzed, and the impact path of each variable on depression was analyzed using the path analysis model. Depression patients were then divided into a conventional group treating with conventional medications and an observation group treating with systematic family interventions. Differences in Hamilton Depression Scale-17, (HAMD-17), CPSS, and Social Adaptive Functioning Evaluation (SAFE) scores were compared and analyzed between the two groups before treatment (T1), during the treatment (T2), and after treatment(T3).

RESULTS

there were significant differences in scores of life events, social support, psychological stress, and coping styles between the healthy control group and the depressed patients (P < 0.05). There was an obvious correlation between different depression degrees and life events, social support, psychological stress, and coping styles (P < 0.05). Life events, social support, and psychological stress had a direct and significant impact on depression (0.250, 0.218, and 0.392; P < 0.05), and they also had an indirect and significant impact on depression through coping styles (P < 0.05). The systematic family treatment model could significantly reduce HAMD-17 and CPSS scores (P < 0.05), and significantly improve SAFE scores (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

adverse life events, lack of social support, excessive psychological stress, and negative coping styles can aggravate college students' depression. Systematic family therapy can improve the degree of depression, reduce the psychological stress, and enhance the social adaptability of college students with depression.

The Role of Plant-Based Protein Functional Food in Preventing Acute Respiratory Disease: A Case Study

The Kaliningrad region is known for its specific climate, which can negatively affect the adaptive potential of the body. This manifests in an increased incidence of respiratory diseases and skin conditions. To prevent high morbidity, a plant protein product was included in the diet of first-year university students. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of this food intervention in preventing the most common diseases among Kaliningrad students. Two groups of university students took part in the food trial. In the control group, catabolic processes prevailed in nutrient metabolism. Disadaptation manifested itself in the metabolism of proteins, vitamins, minerals, hematopoiesis and humoral immunity. Inflammation was indicated by α1- and α2-globulins, a weak immune response, and IgM and IgG. High oxidative stress and low antioxidative ability of blood serum were observed. The plant-based protein product (FP) helped preserve testosterone level and prevent an increase in catabolic reactions. Moreover, it had a positive effect on both red blood cell hematopoiesis (a smaller increase in the average volume of erythrocytes, the same average concentration and content of hemoglobin, an increased relative red cell distribution width (RDW) and white blood cell hematopoiesis (a beneficial effect for the immune system: lymphocytes, the relative content of neutrophils, monocytes, basophils and eosinophils). The stimulation of humoral immunity was evidenced by beta- and gamma-globulins, an active immune response, the level of IgM and IgG, antioxidant protection, reduction of peroxides and an increase in antioxidant activity of blood serum. The 34-week observation showed a 1.7-fold decrease in the incidence of respiratory illnesses and a 5.7-fold decrease in skin and subcutaneous tissue diseases. Acute respiratory infections were reduced 1.8-fold. There were no cases of community-acquired pneumonia in the treatment group, compared with 55.1‰ in the control group. The incidence of respiratory diseases was 3.3-10.6 times lower in the treatment group than in the control group in weeks 6-19. The findings testify to the prophylactic effect of functional food during social adaptation and acclimatization of students.

Pick the Freshmen Up for a "Healthy Study Start" Evaluation of a Health Promoting Onboarding Program for First Year Students at the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences, Austria

Introduction: Universities are an essential setting for creating health promoting environments. Evidence shows that university life can pose various threats to the students' health. Especially first year students are vulnerable to mental health issues. To support well-being and prevent psychological distress from the first day of studying, onboarding programs are needed to promote the students' health and their self- and social competencies. The study demonstrates a tailored multi-component onboarding intervention program named “Healthy Study Start.” An evaluation of the effectiveness is presented focusing on outcomes regarding the students' sense of coherence (S-SoC), social support, sympathy, the work-related collective and the participative safety (a sub-scale of the team climate) among freshmen at the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences (CUAS, Austria).

Methods: For the analyses, a quantitative controlled study design was used and results were measured three times. The intervention group (n = 72) was composed of freshmen selected from the bachelor study programs Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy, Biomedical Science and Radiologic Technology. Freshmen from the bachelor study program Healthcare and Nursing formed the control group (n = 81). As the requirements for analyses of variance were not fulfilled, the data had to be analyzed using e.g., Mann-Whitney U-tests.

Results: Significant changes (all p < 0.016) between the two groups were found between T0/T1, and between T0/T2. Furthermore, changes within the intervention group (all p < 0.016) emerged in nearly all outcomes between T0/T1, while within the control group no changes were identified. However, the intervention group had statistically significantly higher values in the majority of outcomes at T1 and T2 compared to the control group.

Conclusion: The onboarding program “Healthy Study Start” shows how an initiative at the beginning of their studies can support students in entering a new phase of their lives. The results indicate a positive effect on the students' self- and social competencies. However, students' health promotion is not only an investment for a health conscious university or an enhanced employability. Especially in health-related fields of study, students are future multipliers and play an essential role in implementing health promotion concepts for clients, patients and employees.

Association Between Changes in Muscle Strength and Risk of Depressive Symptoms Among Chinese Female College Students: A Prospective Cohort Study

Muscle strength can be a predictor of depressive symptoms among the elderly. We conducted a prospective study aiming to examine the association between change of handgrip strength and the incidence risk of depressive symptoms among Chinese female college students. Handgrip strength was used as a representative indicator of skeletal muscle strength, and a handheld digital smedley dynamometer was applied to measure handgrip strength. We also used the 20-item Zung self-rating depression scale to evaluate depressive status, and a score of ≥50 indicated moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms. During a 1-year follow-up period, the incidence of depressive symptoms is 10.7%. Multivariate logistic regressions analysis revealed that the multivariable-adjusted ORs (95% CI) of depressive symptoms for the categories of handgrip strength change was 1.00 (reference) for group 1, 0.57 (0.28, 1.19) for group 2, 0.41 (0.19, 0.89) for group 3 and 0.33 (0.11, 0.99) for group 4 (p = 0.018). This study indicated that change of handgrip strength level over one-year period is negatively associated with risk of depressive symptoms among Chinese female college students.

Dispositional mindfulness and mental health in Chinese emerging adults: A multilevel model with emotion dysregulation as a mediator

Using a multilevel model, this study examined emotion dysregulation as a mediator between dispositional mindfulness and mental health among Chinese emerging adults. Participants were 191 Chinese emerging adults (female = 172) between 18 and 27 years old (M = 21.06 years, SD = 2.01 years), who completed a questionnaire that assessed their dispositional mindfulness, emotion dysregulation, and mental health outcomes for three times over 12 months, with a three-month lag between each time point. Within-person analysis revealed that emotion dysregulation mediated between dispositional mindfulness and mental health outcomes, including subjective well-being and symptoms of depression and anxiety. Time was positively associated with emotion dysregulation and negatively associated with symptoms of depression and anxiety. Between-person analysis revealed that emotion dysregulation negatively mediated between dispositional mindfulness and symptoms of depression and anxiety, but not subjective well-being. These findings call attention to within-person versus between-person effects of emotion dysregulation as a mediator between dispositional mindfulness and psychological outcomes, particularly of symptoms of depression and anxiety. Attesting to the relations established in western societies, the relations are also applicable to emerging adults in the Chinese context. Evidence was thus advanced to inform translational research efforts that promote mindfulness and emotion regulation as assets of mental health.

A COVID-19 descriptive study of life after lockdown in Wuhan, China

On 8 April 2020, the Chinese government lifted the lockdown and opened up public transportation in Wuhan, China, the epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic. After 76 days in lockdown, Wuhan residents were allowed to travel outside of the city and go back to work. Yet, given that there is still no vaccine for the virus, this leaves many doubting whether life will indeed go back to normal. The aim of this research was to track longitudinal changes in motivation for self-isolating, life-structured, indicators of well-being and mental health after lockdown was lifted. We have recruited 462 participants in Wuhan, China, prior to lockdown lift between 3 and 7 April 2020 (Time 1), and have followed up with 292 returning participants between 18 and 22 April 2020 (Time 2), 284 between 6 and 10 May 2020 (Time 3), and 279 between 25 and 29 May 2020 (Time 4). This four-wave study used latent growth models to examine how Wuhan residents' psychological experiences change (if at all) within the first two months after lockdown was lifted. The Stage 1 manuscript associated with this submission received in-principle acceptance (IPA) on 2 June 2020. Following IPA, the accepted Stage 1 version of the manuscript was preregistered on the OSF at https://osf.io/g2t3b. This preregistration was performed prior to data analysis. Generally, our study found that: (i) a majority of people still continue to value self-isolation after lockdown was lifted; (ii) by the end of lockdown, people perceived gradual return to normality and restored structure of everyday life; (iii) the psychological well-being slightly improved after lockdown was lifted; (iv) people who used problem solving and help-seeking as coping strategies during lockdown had better well-being and mental health by the end of the lockdown; (v) those who experienced more disruptions in daily life during lockdown would display more indicators of psychological ill-being by the end of the lockdown.

Mediating Effects of Specific Types of Coping Styles on the Relationship between Childhood Maltreatment and Depressive Symptoms among Chinese Undergraduates: The Role of Sex

Although childhood maltreatment is known to be associated with depressive symptoms, few studies have investigated the mediating effect of different types of coping styles on this association. It is unknown whether the impacts vary by sex. We investigated the mediating effects of different coping styles on the relationship between childhood maltreatment and depressive symptoms among Chinese undergraduates, as well as the role of sex in the mediated pathways. A total of 7643 college freshmen and sophomores (5665 females, 1978 males; 4215 freshmen, 3428 sophomores; mean age, 19.67 years) from two colleges in China completed a standard questionnaire on the details of childhood maltreatment, depressive symptoms, and coping styles. Childhood maltreatment was significantly correlated with all coping styles and depressive symptoms studied (p < 0.001). Problem solving, self-blame, help seeking, problem avoidance, and rationalization mediated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and depressive symptoms. The estimated ratio of the effect of childhood maltreatment on the occurrence of depressive symptoms can be explained by the mediation of problem solving, self-blame, help seeking, problem avoidance, and rationalization, which accounted for 15.1%, 25.6%, 7.4%, 1.6% and 1.6% of the total effect, respectively. Sex differences were found to have mediating effects on coping styles in terms of the relationship between childhood maltreatment and depressive symptoms. The findings illustrate the need to focus on coping styles and to employ sex-specific methods to effectively help college students reduce depressive symptoms associated with childhood maltreatment.

Health sciences undergraduate students' perceived meaning of life and their coping styles

PURPOSE

The aim of this study is to determine health sciences undergraduate students' perceived meaning of life and coping styles and the correlation between them.

DESIGN AND METHODS

This is a descriptive study. The study sample consisted of 1160 students. Data were collected using a personal information form, the personal meaning profile (PMP), and the ways of coping inventory (WCI).

FINDINGS

Participants had the highest mean scores on PMP relationship and intimacy subscales while they had the highest and lowest mean scores on WCI self-confident coping style and submissive coping style subscales, respectively.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

It is thought that the study will guide us in the process of vocational training of students or guidance and counseling services provided to them.