The relationship between childhood emotional abuse and depressive symptoms among Chinese college students: The multiple mediating effects of emotional and behavioral problems

The Relationship Between Stressful Life Events and Depressive Symptoms in College Students: mediation by Parenting Style and Gender's Moderating Effect

Aim

Stressful life events have a significant impact on the mental health of college students. Depression, as a prevalent psychological issue, has garnered attention in the field of college student mental health and is closely linked to it. Additionally, parenting style is identified as an important factor influencing the development of college students' mental health. Therefore, this study aims to explore the relationship between these three factors.

Methods

A total of 8079 first-year college students from two medical universities in Shandong Province, China were surveyed. The Beck Depression Inventory was utilized to evaluate depressive symptoms among the college students, while the Adolescent Self-rating Life Events Checklist and the Egna Minnen Beträfande Uppfostran were employed to gather data. Subsequently, the SPSS macro program PROCESS was utilized to analyze both the mediating and moderating effects. All statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS 26.0.

Results

The study found a detection rate of 6.3% for depressive symptoms among college students. The correlation analysis of this study showed that the stressful life events of college students were significantly positively correlated with depressive symptoms (r=0.261, p< 0.01). Each dimension of parenting style was associated with depressive symptoms in different degrees and directions. At the same time, parenting styles of all sizes play a partial mediating role between stressful life events and depressive symptoms in college students, gender plays a crucial regulatory role in this mediation.

Conclusion

Stressful life events experienced by college students have a significant impact on their mental health. Early intervention through positive parenting styles from parents may prove to be beneficial in promoting the development of good mental health among college students.

Childhood emotional abuse and depression among Chinese adolescent sample: A mediating and moderating dual role model of rumination and resilience

BACKGROUND

Childhood emotional abuse (CEA) has been identified as a distal risk factor for later depression in adolescents. However, the underlying psychological mechanisms between CEA and adolescent depression are still poorly understood.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to explore the roles of rumination and resilience played in the association between CEA and depression among Chinese adolescents.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

The sample included 919 students (52.56 % boys) with an average age of 13.47 years from a central province in China.

METHODS

Participants completed multiple measurements of CEA, rumination, resilience, and depression. Multivariate path analysis was applied to examine the relations among these variables.

RESULTS

Results showed (a) CEA was significantly positively related to adolescent depression; (b) Rumination partially mediated the relationship between CEA and depression and moderated the relationship between resilience and depression; (c) Resilience partially mediated the relationship between CEA and depression and moderated the relationship between rumination and depression.

CONCLUSIONS

The results revealed that both rumination and resilience played not only mediating but also moderating roles in the relationship between CEA and depression among Chinese adolescent sample, suggesting that the indirect effects of CEA on depression via resilience and rumination are dependent on each other. Hence, these findings deepened the understanding of the psychological mechanisms between CEA and depression and had several practical implications.

Prevalence and associated factors of internet addiction among Chinese adolescents: association with childhood trauma

Introduction

Internet addiction (IA) is common among adolescents and may have severe consequences. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and factors associated with IA among middle school students of Hunan Province, China. Relevance between IA and childhood trauma was also explored.

Methods

One thousand six hundred ten students were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Data collected included demographics; internet addiction (revised-Chen internet addiction scale); childhood trauma (CTQ-SF); depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms (DASS-21); suicidal behaviors, as well as non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). Cramer's V analysis, univariable logistic regression and multivariable logistic regression were used for associations and identifying independent relevance of IA, respectively.

Results

The prevalence of IA was 12.8%. Cramer's V analysis showed that IA was associated with emotional abuse, emotional and physical neglect, NSSI, suicidal behaviors, stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms, physical disorder history. Regression analysis showed that IA was independently associated with emotional neglect (OR = 3.062, 95% CI: 2.083, 4.501, p < 0.001); physical neglect (OR = 2.328; 95% CI: 1.590, 3.409, p < 0.001); depressive symptoms (OR = 2.218, 95% CI: 1.467, 3.353, p < 0.001) nationality (OR = 1.888, 95% CI: 1.034, 3.447, p = 0.006) and age (OR = 1.253, 95% CI: 1.066, 1.471, p = 0.006).

Discussion

IA is common among middle school students. Attention should be paid to students with childhood trauma since they have a higher risk for IA, which may increase the risk for suicidal behaviors.

Childhood maltreatment and subsequent depressive symptoms: a prospective study of the sequential mediating role of self-esteem and internalizing/externalizing problems

BACKGROUND

Depression among adolescents is a seriously disabling public health problem with an extremely high prevalence. Identifying risk factors of depression at an early stage is important to reduce the disease burden. Childhood maltreatment (CM) is one of the major risk factors for depression. The key mediating processes that how CM affects the development of depression, however, still need further clarification. The present study tested the mediating effect of self-esteem, internalizing problems, and externalizing problems between CM and depressive symptoms. Potential sex differences in the foregoing associations were also explored.

METHODS

A three-wave longitudinal study was carried out among 1,957 middle and high school students from 69 classes in 10 public schools in the Guangdong province of China. Data collection started when students were in grades 7 and 10 (median age: 13.0, range: 11-18) between January and April 2019, and the students were followed up once a year thereafter. Self-reported CM, depressive symptoms, self-esteem, internalizing and externalizing problems, and other demographics were collected. The multiple serial mediation analysis was conducted.

RESULTS

We found that CM was positively related to subsequent internalizing and externalizing problems, as well as depressive symptoms, while self-esteem was negatively related to depressive symptoms. Serial mediation analysis indicated that self-esteem (mediator 1) and internalizing problems (mediator 2) sequentially mediated the path from CM to depressive symptoms in the overall and male population. Moreover, with externalizing problems as mediator 2, self-esteem (mediator 1) acted as a partial mediator in the association between CM and depressive symptoms in males, whereas externalizing problems played a complete mediating role in females.

CONCLUSION

Findings revealed that self-esteem and internalizing problems sequentially mediated the influence of CM on depressive symptoms whereas externalizing problems played an independent mediating role. In addition, sex differences need to be taken into consideration when designing prevention and intervention strategies, given the different psychosocial processes between boys and girls.

Measuring childhood trauma in young adults with depression: A latent profile analysis

Childhood traumas are important risk factors for depression in young adults. However, the co-occurrence of childhood traumas is complex, and the specific effects of different types of childhood traumas on depression need further exploration. The aim of this study was to assess the co-occurrence of childhood traumas and the impact of different profiles of childhood trauma on depression. A total of 1053 young adults with depression in China participated. PHQ-9, SHAPS, GAD-7, CTQ-SF, and NLES were evaluated. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was conducted to identify profiles of childhood trauma. The effects of different childhood trauma profiles on depression, anxiety, and anhedonia were assessed using stepwise linear regression. LPA suggested three profiles: no or low childhood traumas, moderate childhood trauma with emotional abuse and childhood neglect, and high childhood trauma with high levels of all trauma types. Regression analyses suggested that high levels of emotional abuse and childhood neglect significantly affected anhedonia. Childhood adverse events cluster in young adults with depression, allowing grouping into three distinct profiles. Specific childhood trauma patterns predict anhedonia symptoms in adult depression.

Association of chronotype, social jetlag, sleep duration and depressive symptoms in Chinese college students

OBJECTIVES

To describe the prevalence of depressive symptoms among Chinese college students and examine the relationship between sleep and circadian rhythm disruption (SCRD) indicators (chronotype, social jetlag, sleep duration) and depressive symptoms.

METHODS

From April to May 2019, the College Student Behavior and Health Cohort Study was conducted among Chinese college students from 2 universities in Anhui and Jiangxi provinces. The current study used data from the third follow-up study. Questionnaire content includes socio-demographic and lifestyle information. Social jetlag and sleep duration were calculated by answering the question about sleep time. Chronotype was assessed by the Morning and Evening Questionnaire (MEQ-5). Depressive symptoms were evaluated by the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9). A Chi-square test was used to examine the proportion depressive symptoms. Multinomial logistic regression model were used to explore the associations of circadian rhythm indicators with depressive symptoms.

RESULTS

The prevalence of mild depression, moderate and above depression was 18.8 % and 6.9 %. Evening types (E-types) and short sleep duration were significantly associated with depression. Stratified analysis indicated that E-types and social jetlag≥2 h were associated with mild depression (OR = 5.67, 95 % CI: 1.83-17.51), as well as stratified analysis indicated that E-types and sleep duration<8 h were associated with mild depression (OR = 5.10, 95 % CI: 1.88-13.87).

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that depressive symptoms are more severe when multiple SCRD indicators are out of whack. The intervention programs of depressive symptoms should consider the context of the multidimensional aspects of Chinese college student sleep.

Adverse childhood experiences, sexual orientation, and depressive symptoms among Chinese college students: An ecological framework analysis

BACKGROUND

Extensive evidence has demonstrated that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) predict a high risk of negative health and behavioral outcomes in later life. However, the influence of individuals' psychosocial characteristics and environmental stressors have been mostly omitted in previous research.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to examine the prevalence of ACEs among LGB (lesbian, gay, and bisexual) and heterosexual emerging adults, and the associations between different patterns of ACE exposure and depressive symptoms after adjusting for factors at different levels.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

A representative sample of 928 college students in Xiamen city, China was recruited.

METHODS

Latent class analysis was applied to identify the patterns of ACEs. A series of regression analyses were conducted to examine the associations between ACEs and depression and whether ACEs interacted with sexual identity to influence depression, after controlling for individual characteristics, family, school, and society-level factors.

RESULTS

Over 35 % of the participants reported they had experienced at least one type of moderate to extreme childhood maltreatment, and those who identified as LGB reported a higher level of ACE exposure. Higher levels of ACE exposure based on score and clustering approaches were associated with higher risks of depression among Chinese emerging adults. However, the associations between ACEs and depression were not significantly moderated by sexual identity.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings highlighted the importance of early screening for ACEs particularly among sexual minorities and of delivering tailored interventions based on ecological backgrounds. Both the traditional scoring approach and a data-driven approach can be effective in detecting the cumulative effect of ACEs.

Childhood maltreatment and depressive disorders in Chinese children and adolescents: A population-based case-control study

OBJECTIVE

The association between childhood maltreatment (CM) and clinically diagnosed depressive disorders (DD) in children and adolescents remains inconclusive, in large part due to a lack of high-quality epidemiological evidence. This study aimed to investigate the association between CM and DD in a large sample of Chinese children and adolescents.

METHODS

The study subjects were chosen from the Mental Health Survey for Children and Adolescents in Yunnan (MHSCAY), and a population-based and individually-matched case-control study design was adopted.

RESULTS

CM was in general associated with an odds ratio (OR) of 5.38 (95% CI: 3.33, 8.71) for DD in children and adolescents, and a prominent dose-response association was detected. For the five specific types of CM, emotional abuse was independently related to the highest odds of DD (OR=3.90, 95% CI: 2.75, 5.54), followed by physical neglect (OR=2.04, 95% CI: 1.45, 2.87) and physical abuse (OR=1.51, 95% CI: 1.06, 2.13), while insignificant associations were found between DDs and sexual abuse and emotional neglect. Subsequently performed stratified analyses identified noticeable effect modification by important demographic factors.

CONCLUSION

CM was significantly associated with increased risk of DD in Chinese children and adolescents. The major findings of the current study suggest that victims of CM, especially those who had been emotionally abused, were susceptible to early-onset DD. Targeted interventions should be considered.

The relationship of emotional abuse, self-value and conflict resolution needs in secondary school students

The most crucial period for the teenagers is the secondary school period. The affection and knowledge that lead the student to build up his or her own self individuality, develop positive relationships, and cope with possible conflicts must be given to her or him by his or her family and neighborhood. The aim of this study was to analyze the correlation among the self-respect, the need for the solution of the conflict, social anxiety, and emotional exploitation within the range of the middle school students. The aforementioned research is such a kind of descriptive study which used one of the correlational survey research models, the quantitative method. In addition to the Personal Data Collection Document, the Scales of the Need of Conflict Resolution, emotional exploitation, the Rosenberg Self-Respect Scale, and the Social Anxiety Scale for the Teenagers are used. The research universe of this study is composed of 10.196 middle school students studying in the 6th, 7th, and the 8th year, at the public schools of the Ministry of Education of the TRNC. The sample group of the research is constituted by 530 volunteer middle school students from Famagusta, Guzelyurt, Lefke, Nicosia, and Kyrenia, respectively. The AMOS 2.1 and the SPSS 25 are used to resolve the data collected. The study that carried out through the structural equality method verifies that there is an agent role of the Need for the Conflict Resolution in between the self-respect and emotional exploitation. However, there cannot be verified any relation in between the self-respect and the social anxiety within the agent role of the Need for the Conflict Resolution. There has been verified meaningful and positive correlations among through the marks of the students taken from the NCR and the SAST, the NCR and the EES, the NCR and the RSRS, the SAST and the RSRS, the SAST and the EES, and the EES and the RSRS.

Relationship between Emotional Intelligence, Victimization, and Academic Achievement in High School Students

The study of bullying implies analyzing the emotional competences of students, and it has been demonstrated that this phenomenon is due to the poor management of emotions. This study explores whether high scores in Emotional Intelligence (EI) are positively related to academic performance and negatively to bullying. The sample composition focused on students of Compulsory Secondary Education, formed by 3451 subjects aged between 11 and 18 years (50.88% women and 49.12% men). The selection of the high schools was made for non-random convenience, administering Peer Bullying Questionnaire (CAI), TMM-24 and school grades. To analyze the results, a model of structural equations was used by estimating the maximum likelihood together with the bootstrapping procedure. We concluded that EI stands as a protector against bullying and has a positive impact on academic performance. This infers that having greater clarity, repair and emotional attention correlates with a lower possibility of being bullied, at the same time, a school climate without aggressiveness generates positive links towards the school and towards optimal learning environments.

"Mental Health Problems in Abused Institutionalised Serbian Adolescents and Their Use of Social and Mental Health Services"

"The aim of the study was to determine the frequency of various forms of maltreatment in adolescents without parental care, their mental health problems and treatment needs. Sixty examinees of both genders, aged 12-18, were divided in two groups: abused group (adolescent without parental care in an institutional setting) and control group (general population). The presence/absence of registered abuse/neglect by official social services were the criterion for classifying respondents into groups. The general questionnaire, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and Youth Self Report were used. 46.67% of adolescents were neglected, 40% of them suffered several types of abuse, 10% were physically abused, 3.33% were emotionally abused, and no adolescent was sexually abused. 16.6% of cases of sexual abuse in the abused group as well as milder forms of maltreatment in the control group were registered by self-reported retrospective measures, which are not part of official registers. Delinquency, aggressive behavior and somatic complaints are significantly more prominent in the abused group compared to the control group. 86% of adolescents used some form of support and counseling from professionals, 56.6% were included in psychiatric treatment, and only 36.6% in psychotherapy. Mental health problems in abused adolescents without parental care indicates the specific needs for psychotherapy and psychiatric treatment."

Childhood maltreatment and emotional distress: The role of beliefs about emotion and psychological inflexibility

The current study aimed to investigate the mediating role of negative beliefs about emotion and psychological inflexibility on the relationship between childhood maltreatment and emotional distress. A total of 519 participants completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), the Leahy Emotional Schema Scale II (LESS-II), and the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II). All scales were significantly correlated. Two mediation analyses were tested. In the first model negative beliefs about emotion and psychological inflexibility mediated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and emotional distress measured by DASS-21 total score. In the second model, negative beliefs about emotion and psychological inflexibility mediated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and depression, anxiety, and stress measured by the subscales of DASS-21. Results suggest that maltreatment in childhood is associated with the individuals' approaches, plans and strategies in response to emotions, and psychological inflexibility which together further determine emotional distress.

Interactive effects of childhood maltreatment and tonic respiratory sinus arrhythmia on young adults' depressive symptoms

The goal of the current study was to investigate the moderating effect of tonic respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) in the relation between childhood maltreatment and depression symptoms among young adults. A total of 98 participants (70 women) aged 17-22 years completed questionnaires on childhood maltreatment and depressive symptoms. RSA data were obtained during a resting condition in the laboratory. Results indicated that childhood maltreatment interacted with tonic RSA to predict depressive symptoms, even after controlling for age and body mass index (BMI) of each participant. Specifically, higher levels of childhood maltreatment were associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms, but only among young adults who exhibited lower tonic RSA. The results indicated that the association between childhood maltreatment and depressive symptoms depends on young adults' physiological functioning/flexibility. Findings suggest that consideration of external environmental factors in combination with internal physiological factors is critical to understand young adults' mental health.