The relationship between psychological Suzhi and social anxiety among Chinese adolescents: the mediating role of self-esteem and sense of security

Psychological capital and music performance anxiety: the mediating role of self-esteem and flow experience

Background

This study aimed to explore the correlation between psychological capital and music performance anxiety among Chinese college students majoring in music. Additionally, the study evaluated the chain mediating effects of self-esteem and flow experience.

Methods

Three hundred twenty-nine college students pursuing a music major from institutions in Eastern China participated in the study. They were asked to complete the Psychological Capital, Self-Esteem, Flow Experience, and Music Performance Anxiety Scales. Descriptive statistics and correlation analysis were performed, and sophisticated mediation models were created.

Results

The results suggest that self-esteem and flow experience play a role in connecting psychological capital and music performance anxiety. Moreover, the ultimate model elucidates significant connections linking psychological capital to self-esteem and flow experience in music performance anxiety.

Conclusion

This study offers useful insights for future interventions aimed at mitigating music performance anxiety through the cultivation of students' psychological capital, self-esteem, and flow experiences.

Teacher-Student Relationships and Coping Styles in Chinese Children: The Chain Mediating Role of Peer Relationships and Psychological Suzhi

As age increases, children will face more and more adversity. How effectively they cope with stress and difficulties of life is of great significance to the development of children's mental health and academic achievement. However, few studies have explored how different interpersonal relationships and psychological suzhi work together to influence children's healthy behaviors, particularly healthy coping in adversity. Therefore, this research focused on the teacher-student relationships and coping styles, as well as the chain-mediated effects of peer relationships and psychological suzhi. A total of 688 children (360 boys, 52.3%; Mage = 10.98 and SD = 0.89) completed questionnaires that assessed using teacher-student relationships, peer relationships, psychological suzhi, and coping styles. The results indicated that teacher-student relationships correlated positively with coping styles, peer relationships, and psychological suzhi in children. Besides, teacher-student relationships positively affected coping styles through both the mediating roles of peer relationships and psychological suzhi. This research elucidated the extrinsic and intrinsic factors impacting the coping styles of children, thus providing empirical validation of existing theoretical frameworks. In China, interventions aimed at promoting Chinese children's positive coping could benefit from strategies focused on cultivating high-quality relationships and enhancing psychological suzhi.

Associations among Parental Phubbing, Self-esteem, and Adolescents' Proactive and Reactive Aggression: A Three-Year Longitudinal Study in China

Parental phubbing, as a new risk factor for adolescents' healthy development, has been noticed by scholars. However, few studies have clarified the associations between parental phubbing and adolescents' proactive and reactive aggression and the potential mediating mechanisms. To address the gaps, the current study explored the longitudinal associations among parental phubbing, self-esteem, and adolescents' proactive and reactive aggression by using the parallel process latent growth curve model and the cross-lagged panel model. The current study involved 2407 Chinese adolescents (girls were 1202, Mage = 12.75, SD = 0.58 at baseline, range = 11-16). Results indicated that parental phubbing significantly positively predicted adolescents' reactive aggression but not proactive aggression. Self-esteem significantly predicted the adolescents' reactive and proactive aggression. Self-esteem significantly mediated the associations between parental phubbing and adolescents' proactive and reactive aggression, respectively. These findings suggest that intervening with parental phubbing is a promising way to reduce adolescents' reactive aggression, and promoting adolescents' self-esteem is an effective approach to prevent their proactive and reactive aggression.

Factors affecting social phobia among Chinese college students in the context of COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study

Social phobia (SP) refers to excessive anxiety about social interactions. College students, with their exposure to academic, familial, and job-related pressures, are an ideal population for early screening and intervention of social phobia. Additionally, COVID-19 prevention measures including keeping social distance may further impact social phobia. This study aims to investigate the influencing factors of social phobia among Chinese college students and to tentatively explore the impact of COVID-19 prevention measures on social phobia. Respondents were recruited through Chinese Internet social platforms for an online survey. College students' social phobia scores in pre- and early-COVID-19 periods were measured using Peters' short form of the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale and Social Phobia Scale (SIAS-6/SPS-6). Demographic information, family information, social relations, self-evaluation, and subjective feelings regarding the impact of COVID-19 preventive measures on social phobia were collected. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to analyze the influencing factors. A total of 1859 valid questionnaires were collected, revealing that the social phobia scores increased from 12.3 ± 11.9 to 13.4 ± 11.9 between pre- and early-COVID-19 periods, with an increase of 1.0 ± 6.4 (p < 0.001). Low GPA rank, mobile phone dependence, distant family relationships, indulgent parents, childhood adversity, and childhood bullying were risk factors for social phobia among Chinese college students. Female gender, being a senior university student or postgraduate, satisfaction with physical appearance, self-reported good mental health and high level of interpersonal trust were protective factors for social phobia. Although most respondents believed that COVID-19 prevention measures (e.g., mask wearing and social distancing rules) reduced their social phobia, these measures were not significantly associated with social phobia levels in the multivariable analyses. In conclusion, Chinese college students' social phobia was widely influenced by diverse factors and warrants increased attention, with early intervention aimed at high-risk individuals being crucial for their mental health. Additional research is necessary to understand the impact of COVID-19 preventive measures on social phobia among college students.

Study on the mediator role of self-esteem in the relationship between female self-objectification and social physique anxiety

BACKGROUND

Women's perception of body image plays an important role in their psychological health; self-objectification and social physique anxiety can affect self-esteem. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of the mediator of self-esteem in the relationship between self-objectification and social physique anxiety in female students at Hakim Sabzevari University in Sabzevar.

MATERIALS AND METHOD

The method of this descriptive research is correlational. The statistical population of this study is all the female students of Sabzevar, Department of Humanities. Using Morgan's table, 291 subjects were selected as a sample. To collect data, Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Questionnaire, McKinley and Hyde's Self-Objectification Questionnaire, and Hart et al., Social Physique Anxiety Questionnaire were used. After filling out the questionnaires, the data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 24 and descriptive indexes were used. Also, for correlation, to test the research question, a suitable statistical test such as hierarchical regression was used.

RESULTS

The results of the analysis of statistical data showed that there is a negative and significant relationship between self-objectification and self-esteem. Also, there is a significant positive correlation between this variable and social physique anxiety. Also, using hierarchical regression, the role of mediating self-esteem was confirmed in the relationship between self-objectification and social physique anxiety.

CONCLUSION

Those who have a high score in self-objectification think of themselves as an object and are always concerned about evaluating others based on their body image, so if their body image is not approved by others, they will have a negative assessment of themselves that causes a decrease in their self-esteem followed by an increase in the social anxiety of the organs.

Community trauma exposure and post-traumatic stress disorder in Chinese children and adolescents

Background

An increasing number of studies have shown the association between traumatic events occurring in childhood and adolescence and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A gap remains in the literature on the epidemiology and influencing factors of traumatic events and post-traumatic stress disorder in communities in northern China. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of traumatic events and PTSD in communities in northern China, to explore the types of stressful traumatic events and the impact of these traumatic events on children and adolescents, and to investigate the effect of sociodemographic factors on PTSD.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey study was conducted among 6,027 students (7-17 years old) from 6 cities in Liaoning Province, China. The sample consisted of 2,853 males (47.34%) and 3,174 females (52.66%). The Essen Trauma-Inventory for Children and Adolescents (ETI-CA) Scale was used. The ETI-CA has 5 sections, which include type of traumatic events, worst traumatic event, post-traumatic symptoms, onset, duration, burden of PTSD, and present difficulties in different areas of life. PTSD symptoms were assessed with 23 items in Part 3 of the ETI-CA.

Results

We found that 2,068 (34.3%) of 6,027 participants experienced trauma events and 686 (33.2%) of 2,068 reported PTSD. Among trauma-exposed youth (2,068), the sudden death of close relatives (33.9%), serious accidents (20.9%), and parental divorce (15.5%) were reported as the worst traumatic events. Studies have shown that after exposure to stressful life events, more than 30% of people feel nervous or upset (39.8%), scared (33.4%), helpless (32.6%), and about 10% have headaches (15.5%), rapid heartbeat (13.3%), and dizziness (11.8%). Multivariable logistic regression analyses showed that students in middle school [OR = 1.29 (1.016, 1.637)], not a student leader [OR = 0.738 (0.618, 0.881)], and their parents in single marital status significantly predicted higher PTSD prevalence the remarried [OR = 0.474 (0.252, 0.893)], married [OR = 0.42 (0.227, 0.778)].

Conclusion

The present study suggests the government to train psychological counselors in schools and communities to provide emotional and psychological support, as well as the school leaders and parents to elevate adolescents' psychological suzhi. Particularly, counseling and professional support should be given to those students whose parents are single.

The impact of peer victimization on Chinese left-behind adolescent suicidal ideation: The mediating role of psychological suzhi and the moderating role of family cohesion

BACKGROUND

The detrimental impact of peer victimization on suicidal thoughts has been tested in numerous previous studies, but the underlying mechanisms tying the two together remain unclear, particularly for left-behind adolescents in China, who are defined as the adolescent staying behind in rural areas for a duration exceeding six months while having one or both parents relocate to urban areas for employment purposes.

OBJECTIVE

This study intends to investigate the relationship between peer victimization and suicidal ideation in Chinese left-behind adolescents and the mediating effect of psychological suzhi (a comprehensive positive quality that related to developmental, adaptive, and creative behaviors) and the moderating role of family cohesion.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTINGS

A total of 417 Chinese left-behind adolescents (M_age at Time 1 = 14.84 ± 1.08 years; 57.55 % male) were recruited for the study. Participants came from rural counties of central China in Hunan province which has suffered a large labor migration.

METHODS

We conducted a two-wave longitudinal study with six-month intervals. Participants completed the measures of the Chinese peer victimization scale for children and adolescents, the adolescent's psychological suzhi questionnaire, the self-rating idea of suicide scale, and the cohesion dimension of the family adaptability cohesion scale.

RESULTS

Path modeling results indicated that psychological suzhi partially mediated the link between peer victimization and suicidal ideation. Family cohesion moderated the association between peer victimization and suicidal ideation. The link between peer victimization and suicidal ideation was weaker for left-behind adolescents with higher family cohesion.

CONCLUSION

Peer victimization was found to diminish psychological suzhi, which in turn increases the risk of suicidal ideation. However, family cohesion buffered the negative effect of peer victimization on suicidal ideation, suggesting that left-behind adolescents with greater family cohesion may be better equipped to prevent suicidal ideation, which has implications for future family and school education and provides some ideas and a foundation for future research.

Plight or light? Elucidating the main and interacting effects of parenting styles and BIS/BAS profiles on left-behind youth’s self-esteem

Today, many labor-aged adults worldwide work and live for a prolonged period outside of their places of origin in locations where the laborers’ school-aged children cannot migrate with their parents, creating a group known as left-behind youth. Empirical studies regarding the impact of parental migration (left-behind versus non-left-behind) on positive youth development, such as self-esteem, remain scarce, and the collective findings are divergent and controversial. Accordingly, the relational and individual correlates of self-esteem among those youth are largely underexplored. Two independent studies were conducted to fill these crucial knowledge gaps. In Study 1 (N = 738; Mage = 15.86; 54.6% girls), I compared the self-esteem of left-behind youth and their non-left-behind peers after adjusting for sociodemographic covariates and social desirability. In Study 2 (N = 1060; Mage = 13.05; 49.5% girls), I aimed to replicate the findings obtained from Study 1 but used a different measurement and another independent sample. Additionally, I extended Study 1 to investigate the main and interactive relationships between parenting styles (parental warmth and control) and the behavioral inhibition/activation system profiles with self-esteem. To clarify the commonality and specificity of these relationships, I also estimated the moderating role of left-behind status herein. Converging findings across both studies challenged the widely vulnerable image of left-behind youth and revealed that this group did not show significant differences in terms of self-esteem, as compared to non-left-behind peers. Interaction analyses also suggested that shy left-behind youth weaken the extent to which their self-esteem is detrimentally affected by low parental warmth/high parental control.

The Role of Self-Esteem in the Relationship Between Psychological Capital and Anxiety of Left-Behind Experience College Students During COVID-19 Pandemic: An Online Study

Background

There is growing evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a dramatic impact on public mental health. However, less attention has been paid to left-behind experience college students (LBEs). This online study aimed to investigate the relationship between psychological capital (PsyCap) and anxiety among LBEs during COVID-19 pandemic, and further analyze the mediation role of self-esteem between them.

Methods

A total of 9990 students were chosen using the stratified cluster sampling method. Three self-reported questionnaires were used to assess the PsyCap, self-esteem, and anxiety, respectively. All the statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS 23.0 and R, and to further investigate the mediation effect of self-esteem in the association of PsyCap with anxiety, AMOS 23.0 was used to build a structural equation model.

Results

PsyCap, self-esteem, and anxiety were significantly correlated among LBEs during the COVID-19 pandemic. PsyCap affects anxiety directly (β = -0.22, SE = 0.051, 95% CI: -0.27, -0.17, P < 0.05). In addition, self-esteem partially mediated the relationship between PsyCap and anxiety (mediating effect value = -0.16, 95% CI: -0.20, -0.13, P < 0.05).

Conclusion

During the pandemic of COVID-19, left-behind experience had a negative influence on the PsyCap and self-esteem of college students. In addition, for LBEs, self-esteem plays an important mediating role between PsyCap and anxiety. Therefore, from the perspective of PsyCap and self-esteem, schools should translate them into practical educational strategies to enhance the mental health and mitigate the anxiety levels of LBEs.

Influence of perceived discrimination on problematic smartphone use among Chinese deaf and hard-of-hearing students: Serial mediating effects of sense of security and social avoidance

BACKGROUND

Reducing the rate and impact of problematic smartphone use (PSU) among deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) students has become a social issue. Research has suggested that perceived discrimination is associated with PSU, although the underlying mechanism of this association for DHH students is not clear.

AIMS

This study explored the mediating roles of sense of security and social avoidance in the association between perceived discrimination and PSU among Chinese DHH students.

METHOD

Five hundred and seventy DHH students, selected through simple random sampling, participated in an online survey, which included measurements of perceived discrimination, sense of security, social avoidance, and PSU. The results were analyzed with SPSS 25.0 and Mplus 7.0.

RESULTS

(1) Perceived discrimination, sense of security, and social avoidance were significantly associated with PSU among DHH students; (2) sense of security and social avoidance played mediating roles separately in the association between perceived discrimination and PSU; (3) sense of security and social avoidance played serial mediating roles in the relationship between perceived discrimination and PSU.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that discriminatory experiences of DHH students are related to a relatively low sense of security and high social avoidance, which may lead to PSU. The results have important implications for the prevention of and intervention for PSU among DHH students.

Proactive personality and critical thinking in Chinese medical students: The moderating effects of psychological safety and academic self-efficacy

Objectives

This study aimed to identify the relationship among proactive personality, psychological safety, academic self-efficacy and critical thinking, and to further explore whether psychological safety and academic self-efficacy could be a moderator in the association between proactive personality and critical thinking among Chinese medical students.

Materials and methods

The cross-sectional study was carried out from October to December 2020 in China. Totally, 5,920 valid responses were collected at four Chinese medical universities. Critical thinking, proactive personality, psychological safety, academic self-efficacy and demographic factors were assessed through questionnaires. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to identify interrelationship clusters among variables. Simple slope analyses were performed to explore the moderating effects of psychological safety and academic self-efficacy.

Results

The mean score of critical thinking among medical students was 3.85 ± 0.61. Proactive personality, psychological safety, and academic self-efficacy were shown to be important factors for critical thinking. Psychological safety and academic self-efficacy moderated the association between proactive personality and critical thinking. A simple slope analysis showed that high psychological safety and academic self-efficacy weakened the impact of proactive personality on critical thinking.

Conclusion

Most medical students surveyed in China might have relatively high levels of critical thinking. Psychological safety and academic self-efficacy moderated the association between proactive personality and critical thinking. More interventions related to psychological safety and academic self-efficacy will be helpful to improve critical thinking among Chinese medical students.

Forgiveness as a Mediator between Psychological Suzhi and Prosocial Behavior in Chinese Adolescents

Prosocial behavior contributes to the well-being of individuals as well as the harmonious development of society. This research aimed to reveal the mechanisms underlying the relationship between the psychological suzhi and prosocial behavior of Chinese adolescents with the consideration of time. A total of 477 adolescents (228 boys, 49.1%; M_age = 14.04 and SD = 1.77) from southwest China completed three questionnaires during waves 1 and 2. Results showed that psychological suzhi and forgiveness were positively correlated with prosocial behavior in both waves 1 and 2; psychological suzhi significantly predicted both current and three months later prosocial behavior and forgiveness played a mediating role in both immediate and lasting effects of psychological suzhi on prosocial behavior. Psychological suzhi and forgiveness are vital predictors of adolescents' prosocial behaviors in China. Interventions based on psychological suzhi and forgiveness are essential to promote the development of pro-social behaviors.

Psychological suzhi moderates state anxiety and heart rate responses to acute stress in male adolescents

Psychological suzhi has increasingly been recognized to buffer chronic stress and improve mental health. However, few studies have examined the role of psychological suzhi in the response to acute stress. The current study aimed to investigate whether psychological suzhi can buffer state anxiety and heart rate responses to acute stress in adolescents. Healthy male adolescents (N = 63) were classified into high (N = 30) or low (N = 33) psychological suzhi groups based on the Chinese norm of adolescent psychological suzhi scale-simplified version. They completed both the modified Trier Social Stress Test for Groups and a specific control condition, with heart rate and state anxiety assessed. Data were analysed with mixed-design repeated measures analysis of variance. The results showed that the modified Trier Social Stress Test for Groups condition effectively induced an increase in state anxiety and heart rate. Furthermore, individuals with higher levels of psychological suzhi showed lower state anxiety and heart rate stress responses. The present study indicated that psychological suzhi is an important internal resource against acute stress, which may inform interventions for male adolescents exposed to acute stress.

A hypothetic model for examining the relationship between happiness, forgiveness, emotional reactivity and emotional security

The ultimate goal of life is happiness, according to Plato. Perhaps the most critical questions in the life of human beings have been on happiness and processes that affect happiness. The present study was planned during the COVID-19 pandemic; perhaps human beings are most needed for happiness. The original hypothetical model and the findings constitute the powerful and different aspects of the present study. This study determined a hypothetical model to examine the relationships among happiness, forgiveness, emotional reactivity, and emotional security. The participant group of the study consists of a total of 916 individuals from Turkey, 617 women, and 299 men. The age scale of the participants is between 18-25. Participants completed the Heartland Forgiveness Scale, the Emotional Security Scale, the Emotional Reactivity Scale, and the Oxford Happiness Scale. Mediation analysis was conducted using Hayes' (2017) process macro. According to the proposed model in the study, emotional reactivity mediates the relationship between forgiveness and happiness. As the individual's forgiveness increases, their emotional reactivity decreases, and as the emotional reactivity decreases, the individual's level of happiness increases.

Adolescents' Self-Esteem and Life Satisfaction: Communication with Peers as a Mediator

The main goal of this study was to verify whether the relationship between adolescents’ self-esteem and life satisfaction is mediated by peer communication. The rationale behind this choice was the fact that while we know a lot about the association between self-esteem and life satisfaction in adolescents, we know far less about the mechanisms that may regulate this direct relationship. The research was conducted among high school students in one of the Polish provincial capitals (N = 429). The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, and the Scale of Communication of Adolescents with Peers were used. In line with the hypotheses, self-esteem correlated positively with life satisfaction and openness, and negatively with difficulty in communication with peers. Open peer communication was positively associated with life satisfaction, and difficult peer communication was negatively correlated with life satisfaction. Moreover, the association between self-esteem and life satisfaction was mediated by openness and difficulty in peer communication. The mediatory effect of peer communication suggests that the simple bivariate relationship between adolescents’ evaluation of the self and a subjective assessment of their overall quality of life may be more complex.

Chinese Primary School Students' Peer Relationship and Chinese Language Scores: The Chain Mediation Effect of Parental Involvement and Sense of Autonomy

This study investigated the internal mechanism of the relationship between primary school students' peer relationships and their performance in the Chinese language and literature. We constructed a chain mediation model, focused on the mediation effects of parental involvement and the sense of autonomy, on the correlation between peer relationships and performance in Chinese language scores. A questionnaire survey was conducted among 1,503 students in grades 4-6, and their parents, in three cities in Jiangsu Province. The result indicated the following: (1) there was a significant positive correlation between primary school students' peer relationships, parental involvement, sense of autonomy, and the level of Chinese language scores; (2) parental involvement and the sense of autonomy, respectively, mediate the relationship between peer relationships and Chinese language scores; (3) primary school students' parental involvement and sense of autonomy play a chain-like mediating role in the relationship between their peer relationships and Chinese language scores. The research results provide a reference for exploring the educational strategies of primary school students' Chinese literacy.

The relationship between parental psychological control and problematic smartphone use in early Chinese adolescence: A repeated-measures study at two time-points

The current study examined the bidirectional relationship between parental psychological control and problematic smartphone use (PSU) in early Chinese adolescence using a two time-points repeated-measures study and explored the role of psychological security and insomnia in the relationship between parental psychological control and subsequent PSU in early adolescence. The sample consisted of 2128 fourth- and fifth-grade students (55.69% male, age = 9 to 13, M_age ± SD = 10.91 ± 0.80) who participated in two measurements and completed questionnaires about parental psychological control, PSU, psychological security and insomnia. The results indicated that: (1) Autoregressive cross-lagged models showed a reciprocal relationship between parental psychological control and PSU severity in early adolescence. (2) Both psychological security and insomnia mediate the link between parental psychological control and subsequent PSU severity. (3) Psychological security and insomnia play serial mediating roles between parental psychological control and subsequent PSU severity. These findings indicate that reducing parental psychological control, boosting psychological security and alleviating insomnia symptoms in adolescents are all conducive to decrease PSU severity in early adolescence.

Longitudinal associations between problematic Internet use, self-esteem, and depressive symptoms among Chinese adolescents

Problematic Internet use (PIU) has a negative impact on self-esteem among adolescents, thereby making them be vulnerable to developing depressive symptoms. However, there is a lack of longitudinal studies focusing on the process. This study aimed to explore the longitudinal associations between PIU, self-esteem, and depressive symptoms. A total of 1,736 adolescents completed this longitudinal study. The baseline survey was conducted in 2019, and the follow-up surveys were performed at 1-year and 2-year later. PIU, self-esteem, and depressive symptoms were measured. A cascade model was used to examine the longitudinal associations between PIU, self-esteem, and depressive symptoms. The mean age of participants was 13.6 (1.5) years at baseline. The final results observed significant within-time associations between PIU, self-esteem, and depressive symptoms at each time point. PIU and low level of self-esteem could predict subsequent depressive symptoms among adolescents, and depressive symptoms were also associated with subsequent PIU and self-esteem. Both PIU and self-esteem show bidirectional predictions with depressive symptoms among Chinese adolescents. Schools and parents should give more attention to adolescents prone to developing depressive symptoms and more social support to reduce their negative emotions. Health-related professionals should incorporate practical knowledge and skills into the education of adolescents to help them better control Internet use, attenuating the risk of future depressive symptoms.

The Experience Among College Students with Social Anxiety Disorder in Social Situations: A Qualitative Study

BACKGROUND

Few individuals have focused on the experience of students during social events, especially among college students with social anxiety disorder. This study aimed to explore the anxiety experience among college students with social anxiety disorder in social situations.

METHODS

This qualitative interpretive study was conducted on college students who were diagnosed with social anxiety disorder (SAD) and recruited from two colleges in Heilongjiang Province, China. A total of 7 participants were selected by purposive sampling with maximum variability. Data were collected through semistructured individual interviews, and data analysis was performed by using Colaizzi's 7-step analysis method.

RESULTS

The findings from the analysis of the interviews were classified into 4 themes and several main categories, including distorted self-awareness (3 main categories), fear of negative reaction from others (2 main categories), adverse reaction of body and mind (4 main categories) and strong desire to seek treatment.

CONCLUSION

In our study, we sought to understand the anxiety experience among college students with social anxiety disorder in social situations. The study results provide a reference for psychologists and clinical medical staff and establish a scientific basis for the prevention and intervention of social anxiety disorder.

Coping style predicts sense of security and mediates the relationship between autistic traits and social anxiety: Moderation by a polymorphism of the FKBP5 gene

The mechanism underlying the relationship between autistic traits and social anxiety still remains unknown. It is therefore necessary to investigate potential psychological and biological mechanisms. A total of 2695 college students were samples for this research during 2017-2018. The assessed variables included demographic characteristics and measures of autistic traits, sense of security, coping styles, and social anxiety. Blood samples were collected from which DNA was extracted. Regression analysis indicated that autistic traits and negative coping were positively associated with social anxiety; furthermore, positive coping, interpersonal security, and sense of control were negatively associated with social anxiety. Further analyses demonstrated that the relationship between autistic traits and social anxiety was mediated by coping styles (both positive coping and negative coping) and sense of security (both interpersonal security and sense of control), and coping style predicted the sense of security. The FK506 binding protein 5 (FKBP5) gene rs3800373 moderated the association between autistic traits and social anxiety. The present study is the first to demonstrate that both coping style and sense of security play an intermediate role between autistic traits and social anxiety in a sample of Chinese college students; moreover, the FKBP5 gene moderates this association between autistic traits and social anxiety.

Effects of Goal-Framed Messages on Mental Health Education Among Medical University Students: Moderating Role of Personal Involvement

Mental health problem among university students is an emerging public health issue, and mental health education has always been the focus of attention for universities. However, limited attention has been paid to the effect of students' acceptance of health messages. Previous studies have found that message framing plays a key role in the process of responding to health-promoting messages. In this backdrop, the study aimed to examine the effects of goal-framed messages on mental health education among medical university students and investigate the moderating role of personal involvement. A cross-sectional study was conducted on medical university students. An online self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Wilcoxon rank-sum test and ordinal logistic regression were used for data analysis. Results showed significant differences in message acceptance between the gain- and loss-framed groups (p < 0.001). Participants with high personal involvement had higher message acceptance than those with low personal involvement in gain- and loss-framed message models (p < 0.05). Specifically, participants who related to roommates with high intimacy had higher message acceptance than those who related to roommates generally (p < 0.05). Participants who were concerned about their health condition had higher message acceptance than those who were neutral about their health condition (p < 0.001). Evidence of advantages of gain- over loss-framed messages on mental health among medical university students was found. The hypothesis that personal involvement with a health issue affects the acceptance of message framing was supported. Public health advocates can use framed message as a strategy to improve the efficacy of intervention in mental health education.