Work Stress and General Trust: The Mediating Effect of Depression and the Moderating Effect of the OXTR Gene rs53576.

BACKGROUND: Work stress has been proved to be linked to depression, and both can decrease general trust. Likewise, OXTR gene is currently the gene that is most closely associated with trust. However, few empirical studies have explored the significant role of gene-environment interactions on general trust. In this study, we explored the mediating role of depression in the relationship between work stress and general trust, and the moderating role of the OXTR rs 53576 in the mediation model. METHODS: 364 healthy Han Chinese faculties were recruited from one university in Beijing. Work stress, depression, and general trust were assessed using the House and Rizzo's Work Stress Scale, Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), and the General Trust Questionnaire, respectively. Blood samples were collected for OXTR rs53576 genotyping. RESULTS: Depression mediated the relationship between work stress and general trust. In the mediation model, OXTR rs53576 could only moderated the direct path from work stress to general trust. For AA and GA individuals, depression completely mediated the relationship between work stress and general trust. For GG individuals, depression partly mediated the relationship between work stress and general trust. LIMITATIONS: This study used a cross-sectional design, only considered Han Chinese faculties, and the role of other genes should be explored. CONCLUSIONS: Depression has a mediating effect between work stress and general trust. The general trust levels of GG genotype individuals are more prone to be affected by work stress than AA and GA individuals.

How Children Feel Matters: Teacher-Student Relationship as an Indirect Role Between Interpersonal Trust and Social Adjustment.

Previous studies have demonstrated positive correlations between children's interpersonal trust and social adjustment. However, the psychological mechanism underlying this effect is still unclear. The current study tested the indirect roles of teacher-student relationships from both students' and teachers' perspectives in a Chinese context. In total, 709 pupils from grade three to grade five, and their 17 head teachers from a Chinese public primary school participated in this study. The Children's Generalized Trust Beliefs Scale, Social Adjustment Scale for Children and Adolescents, and Teacher-Student Relationship Questionnaire were used in this study. All these variables were correlated with each other. Structural equation models showed that the interpersonal trust indirectly influenced social adjustment through the teacher-student relationship from students' perspectives, while the teacher-student relationship from teachers' perspectives did not play an indirect role. These findings suggest that the teacher-student relationship perceived by students is more important for children's social adjustment than that perceived by teachers. Both parents and teachers should pay more attention to developing children's interpersonal trust, build better teacher-student relationships, and focus more on how children feel about the relationship.

Oxytocin receptor gene polymorphisms moderate the relationship between job stress and general trust in Chinese Han university teachers.

BACKGROUND: Chronic exposure to stressful work environments can influence general trust. High job stress is associated with low trust in others. Both environmental and genetic factors contribute to general trust; however, few empirical studies have explored the important role of gene-environment interactions on general trust. In this study, the moderating roles of the polymorphisms OXTR rs53576 and OXTR rs2268490 in the relationship between job stress and general trust were evaluated. METHODS: 362 healthy Chinese Han university teachers (196 males, 165 females, and 1 undisclosed) were included (Mage = 39.80, SD = 9.16). Standardized questionnaires about demographic characteristics, job stress, and general trust scale were collected. Blood samples were collected for OXTR rs53576 and rs2268490 genotyping. RESULTS: Job stress scores showed a significant negative main effect on general trust (p < 0.001), while OXTR rs53576 and rs2268490 did not (p > 0.05). The effect of the interaction between job stress and OXTR rs53576 or rs2268490 on general trust was significant, even after controlling for gender and age. High job stress was associated with low general trust in OXTR rs53576 homozygous individuals (GG/AA) or OXTR rs2268490 CT individuals, demonstrating that the GA genotype in OXTR rs53576 and CC/TT genotype in OXTR rs2268490 are protective genotype of general trust. LIMITATIONS: This study used a cross-sectional design, only considered Chinese Han university teachers, and only examined two polymorphisms in OXTR. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide evidence that gene-environment interactions influence general trust and identify a new locus (rs2268490) underlying this phenotype.