Characteristics and Correlates of Meaning in Life Profiles among Chinese Rural Adolescents.

The meaning in life (MIL) in adolescence is crucial in the developmental process of life. Anchored in the Integrated Model of Meaning Making and the Dual-Systems Model of Meaning, the present study aimed to explore the MIL profiles among Chinese rural adolescents and their characteristics, as well as the role of depression, well-being, character strengths, and academic encouragement in differentiating the MIL profiles. A sample of 579 adolescents from rural China (Mean age = 15.33, SD = 1.69, aged from 12 to 19, female = 56.47%) participated in the survey. Latent profile analysis examined six dimensions of MIL: search for meaning, presence of meaning, need for meaning, meaning confusion, meaning anxiety, and meaning avoidance. Four profiles with different meaning characteristics were revealed: Meaning Oriented profile (18.48%), Bewildered profile (17.62%), Perfunctory profile (51.47%), and Indifferent profile (12.44%). The Meaning Oriented profile had the highest well-being scores and the lowest depression scores compared to the other three profiles. Adolescents with higher character strengths or academic encouragement were less likely to be in the other three profiles than in the Meaning-Oriented profile. The current findings suggest the need for targeted intervention strategies for adolescents with different MIL profiles.

Longitudinal associations between inhibitory control, gratitude, and positive parenting during early childhood.

Children's inhibitory control, which refers to the capability to recognize social and task demands by suppressing inappropriate behavior, is a key element closely related to both external and internal issues in preschoolers. The protective roles of parenting factors and social and moral functions, such as gratitude, remain unknown in the mechanism of inhibitory control. The present study employed a general cross-lagged panel model to explore the relationships between positive parenting, child gratitude, and inhibitory control. The research design involved repeated measurements based on parents' reports on 373 Chinese preschoolers in Hong Kong (179 males, 182 females; Mage = 4.51, SD = 0.60). The cross-lagged panel model revealed that positive parenting at Time 1 (T1) was significantly associated with preschool children's gratitude but not with inhibitory control at Time 2 (T2). Conversely, child gratitude at T1 was positively associated with inhibitory control at T2. These findings underscore the impact of positive parenting on gratitude and the predictive role of gratitude on inhibitory control. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Presence of meaning in life and meaning confusion mediate the effects of adverse childhood experiences on mental health among university students.

Few studies have explored meaning in life as a mediator between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and mental health. This study examined the protective and risk factors associated with meaning in life, as they mediate the effect of ACEs on mental health. The sample was 293 university students in Hong Kong (mean age = 21 years). The results of analyses based on three-wave longitudinal data and structural equation modeling demonstrated that the presence of meaning mediated the negative association between ACEs and happiness, and that meaning confusion mediated the positive association between ACEs and depression and anxiety. This study provides evidence that the presence of meaning may play a protective role and that meaning confusion may be a risk factor for the effects of ACEs on mental health. This study's results have implications for the development of prevention and intervention strategies to alleviate the detrimental impact of ACEs and promote mental health in young adults.

Longitudinal Associations of Suicide Risk and Protective Factors Among Secondary School Students in Hong Kong: A Network Perspective.

PURPOSE: As they transition from childhood to adolescence, Hong Kong secondary school students may experience deteriorating mental health and are at increased risk of suicide. However, there have been insufficient systematic studies of the longitudinal relationship between suicide risk and protective factors. This study adopted a network perspective to investigate the longitudinal associations between suicide risk and protective factors among Hong Kong secondary school students. METHODS: Suicide risk (i.e., anxious-impulsive depression, suicidal ideation or acts, and family distress) and protective factors (i.e., self-appraisal of emotion, emotion regulation, subjective happiness, self-efficacy, social problem-solving, and resilience) were measured. The participants were 834 Hong Kong secondary school students (mean age = 11.97, SD = 0.58, and range = 11-15). The network analysis was performed using two waves of data collected in 2020 and 2021. RESULTS: The results identified the central role of anxious-impulsive depression in the suicidal system. Anxious-impulsive depression, emotion regulation, and subjective happiness were identified as the bridging nodes between the suicide risk community and the protective factors community. The critical protective effects of emotion regulation and subjective happiness on suicide risk were found in both undirected and directed networks. DISCUSSION: This study identified the influence of anxious-impulsive depression and the protective role of emotion regulation and subjective happiness in the suicide risk network of Hong Kong secondary school students. These results suggest the importance of including anxious-impulsive depression and protective factors, especially emotion regulation, in suicide theories and suicide prevention practice.

Individual, Peer, and Family Correlates of Depressive Symptoms among College Students in Hong Kong.

In this study, an ecological model and developmental psychopathology theory focusing on an ontogenic system (hopelessness) and microsystems (peer alienation and childhood abuse and trauma) was adopted to examine the individual, peer, and family correlates of depressive symptoms among college Chinese students in Hong Kong, China. A cross-sectional survey research design with a convenience sampling procedure was used to examine a sample of college students (n = 786) aged 18 to 21 years old in Hong Kong. Among them, 352 respondents (44.8%) reported having depressive symptoms, with a Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) score of 14 or above. The results of this study indicated that childhood abuse and trauma, peer alienation, and hopelessness were positively related to depressive symptoms. The underlying arguments and implications were discussed. The study results provided further support for the ecological model and the developmental psychopathology theory on the predictive roles of individual, peer, and family correlates of adolescent depression.

A Longitudinal Network Analysis of the Interactions of Risk and Protective Factors for Suicidal Potential in Early Adolescents.

Few studies have applied the "ideation-to-action" theories and the buffering hypothesis of resilience to suicide in early adolescents, and existing research is primarily cross-sectional. This study examined the interactions between risk factors (i.e., thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, and hopelessness), protective factors (i.e., resilience, self-efficacy, and subjective happiness), and suicidal potential (i.e., family distress, anxious-impulsive depression, and suicidal ideation or acts) in early adolescents. The participants (N = 1615; 55.6% females; M age = 10.93, SD age = 1.14, range: 9-15) who were recruited from four primary and four secondary schools in Hong Kong completed the survey in 2020 and 2021. The contemporaneous networks suggested that perceived burdensomeness and hopelessness were positively associated with suicidal potential. Protective factors were negatively associated with risk factors studied and suicidal potential. The node with the greatest centrality strength was anxious-impulsive depression. The nodes most likely to connect with other constructs were self-efficacy and hopelessness. A temporal network suggested the predictive effect of hopelessness and the protective effect of subjective happiness on future suicidal ideation or acts. Moreover, self-efficacy was found to buffer the impact of hopelessness on future suicidal ideation or acts. These findings highlighted the contribution of hopelessness to suicidal potential among early adolescents and the buffering effects of subjective happiness and self-efficacy.

The Relationship between Intolerance of Uncertainty and Problematic Social Media Use during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Serial Mediation Model.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought significant interruptions to life certainty, and there has been a lack of research on the influence of uncertainty. The present research aimed to explore how intolerance of uncertainty, maladaptive coping strategies, and fear of missing out affect social media use in a Chinese community sample (N = 311) during the pandemic. Serial mediation analysis was applied, integrating the mediating role of maladaptive coping strategy and fear of missing out. Intolerance of uncertainty, maladaptive coping strategies, and fear of missing out was positively related to PSMU. Based on the mediation analysis, when age and gender were controlled, the direct effect of intolerance of uncertainty on PSMU was significant. The total indirect effect was also significant. The effect of intolerance of uncertainty on PSMU was mediated by maladaptive coping strategies and fear of missing out. Taken together, maladaptive coping strategies and fear of missing out played a serial mediating role between intolerance of uncertainty and PSMU. The findings imply that strategies to improve the tolerance of uncertainty, reduce fear of missing out, and relevant coping strategies could be potentially helpful in mitigating problematic social media use, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Childhood emotional abuse and adolescent flourishing: A moderated mediation model of self-compassion and curiosity.

BACKGROUND: Resilience and positive mental health may be negatively influenced by childhood maltreatment. While many scholars have noted that adolescents exposed to childhood emotional abuse could meet the criteria for flourishing, little research has investigated the mediating effect of self-compassion and the moderating effect of curiosity on the relationship between childhood emotional abuse and adolescent flourishing. OBJECTIVE: This study proposed and tested a moderated mediation model that attempted to explain the pathway from childhood emotional abuse to adolescent flourishing. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: The sample consisted of 315 female students (mean age 12.81 years, range 12-14 years) in a girls' secondary school in Hong Kong, China. METHODS: We conducted a three-wave study with six-month intervals. The participants completed self-administered questionnaires at school under the guidance of trained research assistants. RESULTS: Self-compassion at Time 2 mediated the relationship between childhood emotional abuse at Time 1 and adolescent flourishing at Time 3. Furthermore, the mediating effect was moderated by adolescent curiosity at Time 1 and Time 2. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study suggested that although childhood emotional abuse may hinder the development of self-compassion, reduced levels of self-compassion and curiosity (especially the stretch dimension of curiosity) could work together to promote flourishing in adolescents with a history of childhood emotional abuse. The results lent further support to the developmental psychopathology and resilience perspectives in explaining the relationship between childhood trauma and positive developmental outcomes.

A longitudinal study of the impact of parental discipline on wellbeing among primary school students in China: The roles of school attachment and growth mindset.

BACKGROUND: Various parental disciplinary strategies may have different impacts on children's wellbeing. Protective factors, such as school attachment and a growth mindset, may mitigate the influence of harsh discipline on a child's wellbeing. OBJECTIVE: Based on the strengths-based trauma-informed positive education model, the current study investigated the impacts of three types of parental discipline (corporal punishment, psychological aggression, and nonviolent discipline) on primary school students' wellbeing and examined the moderating roles of school attachment and a growth mindset (both disjunctive and conjunctive moderating effects) in the relationship between parental discipline and student wellbeing. METHODS: A sample of 854 primary school students (M = 9.40) from eight schools in Hong Kong, China, completed the questionnaire survey at two time points (Time 1 and Time 2), one year apart. Hierarchical regression analysis was applied for data analysis. RESULTS: Parental psychological aggression at Time 1 (T1) was significantly and negatively related to student wellbeing at Time 2 (T2). Parental nonviolent discipline students' school attachment and growth mindset at T1 were significantly and positively correlated with student wellbeing at T2, when controlling for the students' initial wellbeing and important confounding demographic variables. School attachment moderated the association between parental psychological aggression and student wellbeing. CONCLUSIONS: Parental psychological aggression has negative impacts while nonviolent discipline has positive impacts on primary school students' wellbeing. Students who are more attached to school and have a growth mindset show higher levels of wellbeing. The study provides further evidence of the role of school attachment in moderating the effect of parental psychological aggression on children's wellbeing in the trauma-informed positive education model.

Cultural Differences in the Hedonic Rewards of Recalling Kindness: Priming Cultural Identity with Language.

Recent theory suggests that members of interdependent (collectivist) cultures prioritize in-group happiness, whereas members of independent (individualist) cultures prioritize personal happiness (Uchida et al. Journal of Happiness Studies, 5(3), 223-239 Uchida et al., 2004). Thus, the well-being of friends and family may contribute more to the emotional experience of individuals with collectivist rather than individualist identities. We tested this hypothesis by asking participants to recall a kind act they had done to benefit either close others (e.g., family members) or distant others (e.g., strangers). Study 1 primed collectivist and individualist cultural identities by asking bicultural undergraduates (N = 357) from Hong Kong to recall kindnesses towards close versus distant others in both English and Chinese, while Study 2 compared university students in the USA (n = 106) and Hong Kong (n = 93). In Study 1, after being primed with the Chinese language (but not after being primed with English), participants reported significantly improved affect valence after recalling kind acts towards friends and family than after recalling kind acts towards strangers. Extending this result, in Study 2, respondents from Hong Kong (but not the USA) who recalled kind acts towards friends and family showed higher positive affect than those who recalled kind acts towards strangers. These findings suggest that people with collectivist cultural identities may have relatively more positive and less negative emotional experiences when they focus on prosocial interactions with close rather than weak ties. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42761-020-00029-3.

A longitudinal study on the relationship among childhood emotional abuse, gratitude, and suicidal ideation of Chinese adolescents.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Suicidal ideation is a significant predictor of suicidal attempt. Based on the developmental psychopathology perspective and the resilience theory, this study examines whether trait gratitude mediates the relationship between childhood emotional abuse and adolescent suicidal ideation. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: A sample of 909 Grade 8 to Grade 9 adolescents aged 12-18 years in Hong Kong, a Special Administrative Region in China, was recruited from six secondary schools. METHOD: A two-wave longitudinal study was conducted. Participants completed the same measures on Gratitude Quesitonnaire-6, Suicidal Ideation Scale, emotional subscale of Child Abuse and Trauma Scale at two time points 12 months apart. RESULTS: Results of cross-lagged analyses showed that adolescents' suicidal ideation was positively associated with childhood emotional abuse and negatively associated with gratitude; further, the association between childhood emotional abuse and suicidal ideation was mediated by gratitude. CONCLUSIONS: Findings of this study implied that while exposure to parental emotional abuse might have an adverse impact on the development of gratitude, adolescents' current level of gratitude still exerts its protective effect by directly reducing their suicidal ideation. Gratitude or other resilience factors that might comprise additional mediating mechanisms from childhood emotional abuse to mental health problems in later life is worthy of further investigation.

Childhood Neglect and Adolescent Suicidal Ideation: a Moderated Mediation Model of Hope and Depression.

Using data collected on a two-wave longitudinal sample of 910 adolescents with mean age of 13.68 years in Hong Kong, China, this survey aimed to test a moderated mediation model to account for the developmental pathway from childhood experiences of neglect to suicidal ideation in adolescents. Results showed that adolescents who were neglected as children had higher levels of suicidal ideation; furthermore, this relation was mediated by adolescents' depressive symptoms, while the path between adolescents' depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation was moderated by adolescents' sense of hope. Findings of this study imply that intervention and services that help prevent childhood neglect, alleviate depression, and promote hope are potentially important to decrease adolescent suicidal ideation.

A comparison of positive youth development against depression and suicidal ideation in youth from Hong Kong and the Netherlands.

Background This study tests the buffering effects of positive youth development (PYD) factors against depression and suicidal ideation across Hong Kong and Dutch students. Methods We collected data on depression, suicidal ideation, history of childhood maltreatment, and PYD from 565 Dutch and Hong Kong undergraduates. The three PYD factors, prosocial attributes, positive identity, and cognitive-behavioral competence, were examined for their moderating role in the relationship among childhood maltreatment, depression, and suicidal ideation in path analysis. Results Direct protective effects are found for all PYD factors in both cultures, except for cognitive-behavioral competence in the Dutch sample. A buffering effect of the PYD factors is observed in the maltreatment-depression relationship in Dutch, but not in Hong Kong students. Only behavioral competence buffers against suicidal ideation in Dutch students, while other PYD factors show no buffering effect in both groups of participants. Conclusion The differences in relationships between two samples highlights the need to consider cultural differences.

A longitudinal study of the role of children's altruism and forgiveness in the relation between parental aggressive discipline and anxiety of preschoolers in China.

Using data collected over a 1-year period on a stratified random sample of 368 parents with children studying in nurseries (mean age=3.97years), this study assessed the predictive effects of parental corporal punishment, parental psychological aggression, preschoolers' altruism, and preschoolers' forgiveness on preschoolers' anxiety symptoms in Hong Kong, China. Results of hierarchical regression analyses showed that parental psychological aggression, preschoolers' altruism and preschoolers' forgiveness at Time 1 significantly predicted preschoolers' anxiety at Time 2, when controlling for the initial level of preschoolers' anxiety and important demographic variables that co-vary with preschoolers' anxiety. Moreover, preschoolers' altruism moderated the predictive effect of parental psychological aggression on preschoolers' anxiety symptoms. The study has several significant contributions. First, the study supports the predictive effect of parental aggressive discipline on preschoolers' anxiety. Second, we provide evidence that preschoolers' altruism and forgiveness negatively predict preschoolers' anxiety symptoms. Third, preschoolers' altruism and forgiveness are shown to protect them against parental psychological aggression. A dual-focus approach to intervention and prevention is proposed to reduce aggressive discipline by parents as well as to enhance altruism and forgiveness in children. Parent training programs could be provided to teach parents positive discipline strategies. Home-based or school-based interventions could be designed for preschool children to foster and enhance their altruism and forgiveness.

An Integrated Model of Suicidal Ideation in Transcultural Populations of Chinese Adolescents.

This study tested the model of suicidal ideation, incorporating family and personal factors to predict suicidal ideation with hopelessness as a mediating factor in the Hong Kong sample, to a sample in Shanghai. Using MGSEM, the study aims to investigate the personal correlates and the family correlates of suicidal ideation in Hong Kong and Shanghai adolescents. We integrated the family ecological and diathesis-stress-hopelessness models of suicidal ideation in connecting the correlates. A cross-sectional design was used. The full model achieved metric invariance and partial path-loading invariance. Family functioning and social problem solving negatively predicted hopelessness or suicidal ideation in both the Hong Kong and Shanghai adolescents. The results supported an integrative approach in facilitating parent-adolescent communication and strengthening family functioning, and reducing the use of negative social problem-solving styles in adolescent suicide prevention.

The roles of emotional competence and social problem-solving in the relationship between physical abuse and adolescent suicidal ideation in China.

The study investigated the relationship among physical abuse, positive psychological factors including emotional competence and social problem-solving, and suicidal ideation among adolescents in China. The possible moderating effects of emotional competence and social problem-solving in the association between physical abuse and adolescent suicidal ideation were also studied. A cross-sectional survey employing convenience sampling was conducted and self-administered questionnaires were collected from 527 adolescents with mean age of 14 years from the schools in Shanghai. Results showed that physical abuse was significantly and positively related to suicidal ideation in both male and female adolescents. Emotional competence was not found to be significantly associated with adolescent suicidal ideation, but rational problem-solving, a sub-scale of social problem-solving, was shown to be significantly and negatively associated with suicidal ideation for males, but not for females. However, emotional competence and rational problem-solving were shown to be a significant and a marginally significant moderator in the relationship between physical abuse and suicidal ideation in females respectively, but not in males. High rational problem-solving buffered the negative impact of physical abuse on suicidal ideation for females. Interestingly, females with higher empathy and who reported being physically abused by their parents have higher suicidal ideation. Findings are discussed and implications are stated. It is suggested to change the attitudes of parents on the concept of physical abuse, guide them on appropriate attitudes, knowledge and skills in parenting, and enhance adolescents' skills in rational problem-solving.

The moderating role of emotional competence in suicidal ideation among Chinese university students.

AIMS: To explore the relationship among perceived family functioning, emotional competence and suicidal ideation and to examine the moderating role of emotional competence in suicidal ideation. BACKGROUND: Previous studies have highlighted that poor family relationships and emotional symptoms are significant predictors of suicidal ideation. However, the roles of perceived family functioning and emotional competence in predicting suicidal ideation have not been given adequate attention. DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey using convenience sampling. METHOD: A questionnaire was administered to 302 university students from February-April in 2011 in Hong Kong. The means, standard deviations and Cronbach's alphas of the variables were computed. Pearson correlation analyses and hierarchical regression analyses were performed. RESULTS: Hierarchical regression analyses showed that perceived high family functioning and emotional competence were significant negative predictors of suicidal ideation. Further analyses showed that parental concern, parental control and creative use of emotions were significant predictors of suicidal ideation. Emotional competence, specifically creative use of emotions, was found to moderate the relationship between perceived family functioning and suicidal ideation. CONCLUSION: The findings support the family ecological framework and provide evidence for emotional competence as a resilience factor that buffers low family functioning on suicidal ideation. Suggested measures to decrease suicidal ideation include enhancing parental concern, lessening parental control, developing students' awareness, regulation and management of their own emotions, fostering empathy towards others' emotional expression, enhancing social skills in sharing and influencing others' emotions and increasing the positive use of emotions for the evaluation and generation of new ideas.

Child abuse and suicidal ideation among adolescents in China.

The present study examined the relationship among physical abuse, psychological abuse, perceived family functioning and adolescent suicidal ideation in Shanghai, China. Perceived family functioning was investigated as a possible moderator between physical abuse, psychological abuse and suicidal ideation. A cross sectional survey using convenience sampling was conducted. A total of 560 valid self-administered questionnaires were completed by the students aged from 12 to 17 in Shanghai. Descriptive statistical analyses, Pearson correlations analyses, and hierarchical regression analyses were adopted as methods of data analyses. Results indicated that physical abuse was significantly associated with greater adolescent suicidal ideation, while a higher level of perceived family functioning was significantly associated with lower suicidal ideation. However, psychological abuse was not associated with suicidal ideation. Perceived family functioning was shown to be a moderator between physical abuse and suicidal ideation. Specifically, mutuality and family communication moderated the relationship between physical abuse and suicidal ideation. To decrease adolescent suicidal ideation, measures are suggested to prevent physical abuse and enhance family functioning. First, it is important to increase the parents' awareness of the meaning and boundaries of physical abuse, as well as the role it plays in contributing to adolescent suicidal ideation. Second, parents should be taught appropriate parenting skills and knowledge and be guided to treat the children as individuals with their unique personality, rights and privileges. Third, it is important to promote family harmony, effective communication as well as mutual trust, concern and understanding among family members.

Perceived family functioning and suicidal ideation: hopelessness as mediator or moderator.

BACKGROUND: : Suicidal ideation has been identified increasingly as a problem among university students in Hong Kong. Understanding the relationships among hopelessness, perceived family functioning, and suicidal ideation is essential to designing effective interventions. OBJECTIVES: : The aims of this study are to explore the relationships among hopelessness, perceived family functioning, and suicidal ideation and to examine the moderating and mediating roles played by hopelessness on suicidal ideation. METHODS: : A cross-sectional survey using convenience sampling was conducted. A questionnaire was administered to 350 university students with ages 18 to 25 years. The questions measured levels of suicidal ideation, perceived family functioning, and hopelessness of the students. Data analyses, including correlation and multiple hierarchical regression analyses, were conducted to examine the mediating and moderating roles of hopelessness on suicidal ideation. RESULTS: : Perceived family functioning (B = -.10, p < .05) and hopelessness (B = .56, p < .001) were shown to be significant predictors of suicidal ideation. Hopelessness was found to mediate only partially but moderate the impact of perceived family functioning on suicidal ideation (B = -.88, p < .05), hence expanding Beck's cognitive theory of suicide. CONCLUSION: : Perceived family functioning and hopelessness are significant predictors, whereas hopelessness is a partial mediator and a significant moderator of suicidal ideation. Therefore, interventions that enhance family functioning and lower the sense of hopelessness may be effective in decreasing suicidal ideation among university students.

The moderating role of perceived social support on the relationship between physical functional impairment and depressive symptoms among Chinese nursing home elderly in Hong Kong.

With reference to the stress-buffering model, this study aimed to examine the moderating role of perceived social support (including institutional peer support and family support) on the relationship between physical functional impairment, as a source of stress, and depressive symptoms among Chinese nursing home elderly in Hong Kong. The study used a cross-sectional survey method and convenience sampling. The subjects were recruited from two private nursing homes. A total of 187 elderly (54 males and 133 females) participated in the survey. Interviews were conducted by experienced research assistants. The Geriatric Depression Scale was used to assess depressive symptoms of each participant. Pearson correlational analyses showed that females reported more depressive symptoms than their male counterparts, and a positive relationship was found between education level and depressive symptoms. Perceived institutional peer support was negatively correlated, while physical functional impairment was positively correlated with depressive symptoms. However, there was no significant correlation between perceived family support and depressive symptoms. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that physical functional impairment and perceived institutional peer support were significant predictors of elderly depressive symptoms, while perceived family support was not a significant predictor, after statistically controlling for the influence of gender and education level. Perceived institutional peer support, but not perceived family support, was found to moderate the negative impact of physical functional impairment on elderly depressive symptoms. The theoretical and practical implications of this study were then discussed.