ArticleBMC psychiatry2023
The mediating role of psychological capital in the association between life satisfaction and depressive and anxiety symptoms among Chinese medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study.
Article in BMC psychiatry, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Psychological capital and mental health among Chinese university students: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC psychology · 2026Pooled it
- Academic Stress and Mental Health Challenges Among International Students in China.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Maladaptive Cognitive-Emotional Regulation Between Psychological Vulnerability and Psychological Capital Among Families of ICU Patients.Nursing in critical care · 2026Article
- Examining relationship between unhealthy lifestyle and life satisfaction among new students at Tehran University of Medical Sciences.PloS one · 2026Article
- Relationship Between Prenatal Depression and Psychological Capital in Pregnant Women in Guangdong, China: The Mediating Role of Coping Styles.Nursing research and practice · 2026Article
- Personality Trait Dimensions and Depressive Symptoms Among Medical Students: Sequential Mediation Through Psychological Capital and Perceived Stress.Depression and anxiety · 2026Article
- The mediating role of self-compassion in the relationship between big five personality traits and depression among Chinese preclinical medical students: a multicenter cross-sectional study.BMC psychiatry · 2025Article
- Research on the construction of a Chinese indicator system for college students' multidimensional health.BMC public health · 2025Article
- The Role of Optimism and Self-Efficacy in the Relationship between Academic Stress and Depressive Symptoms in Medical Students Including the Use and Knowledge of Structural Health Promotion Offers.Medical science educator · 2025Article
- The Longitudinal Relationship Between Self-Esteem, Life Satisfaction, and Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms Among Chinese Adolescents: Within- and Between-Person Effects.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Article
- Exploring the multidimensional impact of caregiver burden in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- A mixed methods exploration of the interrelationships among self-compassion, stress management, psychological capital, and life satisfaction in Chinese university students.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
- Mediating effects of psychological capital on the influencing relationship between social isolation and anxiety symptoms of maintenance hemodialysis patients.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
- Shugan Jieyu capsule effects on peripheral blood micro-124, micro-132, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor in patients with mild to moderate depression.World journal of psychiatry · 2024Article
- Mobile Phone Addiction and Psychological Capital Mediates the Relationship Between Life Satisfaction and Learning Burnout in Chinese Medical Postgraduate Students: A Structural Equation Model Analysis.Psychology research and behavior management · 2024Article
- Effects of Neuroticism on Differences in Symptom Structure of Life Satisfaction and Depression-Anxiety among College Students: A Network Analysis.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
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5 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundAlthough life satisfaction is a predictor of depressive and anxiety symptoms, the mechanisms underlying this association are poorly understood. This study examined how psychological capital (PsyCap), a positive psychological state, mediated the association between life satisfaction and depressive and anxiety symptoms among Chinese medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic.
methodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted at three medical universities in China. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to 583 students. Depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, life satisfaction, and PsyCap were measured anonymously. A hierarchical linear regression analysis was performed to explore the effects of life satisfaction on depressive and anxiety symptoms. Asymptotic and resampling strategies were used to examine how PsyCap mediates the association between life satisfaction and depressive and anxiety symptoms.
resultsLife satisfaction was positively associated with PsyCap and its four components. There were significant negative associations between life satisfaction, psychological capital, resilience, optimism, and depressive and anxiety symptoms among medical students. Self-efficacy was negatively associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms. Psychological capital (a×b = -0.3201, BCa 95% CI: -0.3899, -0.2446; a×b = -0.2749, BCa 95% CI: -0.3817, -0.1996), resilience (a×b = -0.2103, BCa 95% CI: -0.2727, -0.1580; a×b = -0.1871, BCa 95% CI: -0.2520, -0.1414), optimism (a×b = -0.2100, BCa 95% CI: -0.3388, -0.1150; a×b = -0.1998, BCa 95% CI: -0.3307, -0.0980), and self-efficacy (a×b = -0.0916, BCa 95% CI: 0.0048, 0.11629; a×b = 0.1352, BCa 95% CI: 0.0336, 0.2117) significantly mediated the association between life satisfaction and depressive and anxiety symptoms. LIMITATIONS: This was a cross-sectional study, and causal relationships between the variables could not be ascertained. Self-reported questionnaire instruments were used for data collection, which may have recall bias.
conclusionsLife satisfaction and PsyCap can be used as positive resources to reduce depressive and anxiety symptoms among third-year Chinese medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychological capital and its components (self-efficacy, resilience, and optimism) partially mediated the relationship between life satisfaction and depressive symptoms, and completely mediated the relationship between life satisfaction and anxiety symptoms. Therefore, improving life satisfaction and investing in psychological capital (especially self-efficacy, resilience, and optimism) should be included in the prevention and treatment of depressive and anxiety symptoms among third-year Chinese medical students. Additional attention is needed to pay for self-efficacy in such disadvantageous contexts.
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