The Mediating Effect of Social Problem-Solving Between Perfectionism and Subjective Well-Being

How Do Career Expectations Affect the Social Withdrawal Behavior of Graduates Not in Employment, Education, or Training (NEETs)? The Chain Mediating Role of Human Capital and Problem-Solving Ability

In recent years, some college graduates in China have chosen to postpone or avoid employment due to the disparity between their career expectations and the reality of the job market, leading to the emergence of a group of graduates not in employment, education, or training (NEETs). As the number of individuals in this group continues to grow, exploring effective strategies to mitigate such behavior has become increasingly important. Based on self-determination theory, this study conducted an empirical analysis using a multi-wave questionnaire survey with a sample of 226 graduate NEETs in Shanghai, China. The findings indicate that (1) career expectations do not directly reduce social withdrawal behavior; (2) the mere accumulation of human capital is insufficient to decrease social withdrawal-only when knowledge and skills are further transformed into problem-solving ability does an individual's tendency toward social withdrawal significantly decline; and (3) human capital and problem-solving ability serve as a sequential mediating mechanism between career expectations and social withdrawal behavior. This study expands the research on the formation mechanisms of social withdrawal behavior and elucidates the proactive adaptation pathways in individuals' career adjustment processes. The findings provide theoretical insights for higher education institutions to shift from traditional knowledge transmission models toward a greater emphasis on problem-solving ability development.

Mindfulness, Self-Compassion, and Perfectionism in Physician Assistant Students: Implications for Wellness Curricula

Objectives

There is growing consensus that wellness strategies should be incorporated into health professions education; however, there is more to be learned about developing targeted, effective curricular interventions. Study objectives were to identify aspects of mindfulness most prominent in physician assistant (PA) students and determine which aspects of mindfulness most strongly predict well-being. The study examined cognitive patterns, protective (self-compassion) and harmful (maladaptive perfectionism), that underlie impostor phenomenon which may impact professional identity development and risk for burnout.

Methods

Newly matriculated students (n = 351) at six PA programs nationally were invited to participate. Validated survey instruments assessed mindfulness, self-compassion, maladaptive perfectionism, impostor phenomenon, and well-being. Data were assessed using descriptive statistics and linear regressions.

Results

The survey response rate was 94.8% (351/370). At the onset of training, PA students were highest in Non-judgement, followed by Observation and Description. Their relatively lowest levels were Non-reactivity and Acting with Awareness. Of the five aspects of mindfulness, Non-judgement was the strongest predictor of well-being, followed by Description and Non-reactivity. Collectively, these three abilities explained 24.62% of variance in well-being. Higher levels of maladaptive perfectionism and lower levels of self-compassion accounted for 53% of the reported level of impostor phenomenon in PA students.

Conclusion

Study results provide direction for educators when developing wellness curricula. Three of the five aspects of mindfulness examined were significant predictors of well-being. Higher levels of maladaptive perfectionism and lower levels of self-compassion accounted for experiences of impostor phenomenon in PA students. Findings suggest potential benefit from a targeted approach to implementing mindfulness curricula.

Effect of Perfectionism on Interpersonal Sensitivity Among Nursing Students: The Mediating Role of Coping Style and Subjective Well-Being

Aim

To explore the connection between perfectionism and interpersonal sensitivity among nursing students and to examine the intermediary effects of coping style and subjective well-being within this association.

Methods

Utilizing a cross-sectional approach, this study assessed 682 nursing students at two Henan Province universities in China, employing the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, Interpersonal Sensitivity Questionnaire, Coping Style Scale, and Subjective Well-being Scale. The data were subjected to descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and regression analysis with a macro process model.

Results

Maladaptive perfectionism showed a strong positive link with interpersonal sensitivity (r = 0.42, p < 0.01) and a negative coping style (r = 0.18, p < 0.01), and a marked negative link with subjective well-being (r = -0.23, p < 0.01). Coping style and subjective well-being acted as sequential mediators in the relationship between perfectionism and interpersonal sensitivity.

Conclusion

Perfectionism has a direct impact on the interpersonal sensitivity of nursing students and also influences it indirectly through coping strategies and subjective well-being. These findings offer theoretical backing and direction for research into and enhancement of nursing students' interpersonal sensitivity, underscoring the significance of interventions designed to mitigate maladaptive perfectionism, foster constructive coping styles, and bolster subjective well-being.

Well-Being and Perfectionism: Assessing the Mediational Role of Self-Compassion in Emerging Adults

The study explores how different dimensions of perfectionism influence psychological well-being (PWB) in emerging adults. Literature has deepened the relationships between maladaptive perfectionism (e.g., excessive self-criticism, perceived discrepancy from the standards) and low PWB. Less is known about whether and how adaptive perfectionism (e.g., pursuing personal standards) relates to PWB. Secondly, the study has investigated whether self-compassion (i.e., self-benevolence, seeing personal imperfections as a common condition) may mediate the relationships between adaptive/maladaptive perfectionism and PWB. Participants (N = 217, 18-35 y. o.) completed self-report questionnaires measuring: adaptive/maladaptive perfectionism (Almost Perfect Scale-Revised, APS-R: high standards and order/discrepancy, respectively), PWB, and self-compassion (SCS). Adaptive perfectionism was associated with PWB, particularly a higher presence of purpose in life, environmental mastery, self-acceptance, and personal growth. Conversely, discrepancy resulted in the most robust predictor of low PWB (β = -0.68), followed by high standards with a positive direction (β = 0.23; Rc2 = 0.514, p < 0.001). A strong negative association emerged between discrepancy and SCS (r = -0.67, p < 0.001). A mediation analysis shows that self-compassion has an indirect effect, reducing the strength of the relationship between discrepancy and low PWB. Results suggest focusing on self-compassion as a buffer factor that reduces the negative impact of maladaptive perfectionism on psychological well-being. Implications for education and health psychology are discussed.

The chain mediation model of social support and life satisfaction among migrant older adults with children: The role of mental health and sleep quality

INTRODUCTION

Few studies have examined the life satisfaction of migrant older adults with children (MOAC), who emerged due to rapid urbanization and population aging in China. This study aimed to explore the chain mediating effect of mental health and sleep quality on the association between social support and life satisfaction among MOAC in Weifang, China.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted using multi-stage cluster random sampling, and 613 participants were included. The Social Support Rating Scale, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and Scale with Life Satisfaction were used to measure the social support, mental health, sleep quality, and life satisfaction of MOAC, respectively. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, and ANOVA were used to explore the relationship between sociodemographic variables and life satisfaction. Pearson's correlation analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM) were conducted to investigate the association between social support, mental health, sleep quality, and life satisfaction.

RESULTS

The mean total SWLS score was 27.87±5.58. SEM analysis demonstrated that social support had a positive effect on life satisfaction (β= 0.197). Mental health and sleep quality partially mediated the association between social support and life satisfaction (95% CI: 0.083-0.193), and the mediating effect accounted for 39.198% of the total effect.

CONCLUSION

Life satisfaction was relatively high, and mental health and sleep quality partially mediated the association between social support and life satisfaction. Policy suggestions were provided based on these results.

Social support mediates the relationship between illness perception and psychosocial adaptation among young and middle-aged kidney transplant recipients in China

Background

No research has yet been done on social support's influence on the association between illness perception and psychosocial adaptation among young and middle-aged kidney transplant recipients in China. Accordingly, it remains unclear how medical personnel can assist patients in successfully adjusting to the early postoperative period and improving their health.

Objective

This study sought to explore the influence of illness perception and social support on the psychosocial adaptation of young and middle-aged recipients of kidney transplants in China during the early postoperative period.

Methods

This study adopted a cross-sectional design. The study included 236 young and middle-aged kidney transplant recipients from a tertiary hospital in China. Demographic and disease-related data were collected. Additionally, the Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale-Self-Report, the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire, and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support were used to assess participants' psychosocial adaptation, illness perception, and social support, respectively. The model was examined using descriptive analysis, Pearson's correlation analysis, hierarchical multiple regression analysis, and the PROCESS Macro in SPSS 26.0.

Results

A total of 176 (74.56%) participants reported an average psychosocial adaptation score >50, which is relatively negative. Marital status, education level, residence, per capita monthly income (in Chinese yuan), medical insurance, work status, post-transplant time, body mass index, creatinine status, and complications were all related to psychosocial adaptation (p < 0.05). The more negative their illness perception and the worse their social support, the worse the psychosocial adaptation of young and middle-aged kidney transplant recipients. Further, the effect of illness perception on psychosocial adaptation was partially mediated by social support (36.56%).

Conclusion

In general, the psychosocial adaption level of young and middle-aged kidney transplant recipients was negative during the early postoperative period. Healthcare teams should assist patients in building a positive illness perception shortly following kidney transplantation, while also providing psychological care and support to help them cope with the onset of psychosocial issues.

A network analysis of social problem-solving and anxiety/depression in adolescents

Social problem-solving (SPS) involves the cognitive-behavioral processes through which an individual identifies and copes with everyday problems; it is considered to contribute to anxiety and depression. The Social Problem-Solving Inventory Revised is a popular tool measuring SPS problem orientations and problem-solving styles. Only a negative problem orientation (NPO) is considered strongly related to anxiety and depression. In the present study, we investigated the detailed connections among the five components of SPS and 14 anxiety-depression symptoms and specified the role of NPO and other components in the anxiety-depression network. We employed network analysis, constructed circular and multi-dimensional scaling (MDS) networks, and calculated the network centrality, bridge centrality, and stability of centrality indices. The results were as follows: (1) the MDS network showed a clustering of anxiety and depression symptoms, with NPO and avoidance style components from SPS being close to the anxiety-depression network (demonstrated by large bridge betweenness and bridge closeness); (2) the NPO and positive problem orientation from SPS were most influential on the whole network, though with an opposite effect; (3) strength was the most stable index [correlation stability (CS) coefficient = 0.516] among the centrality indices with case-dropping bootstraps. We also discussed this network from various perspectives and commented on the clinical implications and limitations of this study.