ArticleFrontiers in psychiatry2025
The mediating role of the big five personality traits in the relationship between self-efficacy and depressive symptoms among Chinese university students.
Article in Frontiers in psychiatry, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
Background: The mental health of university students, particularly depression, has become a significant public health concern in China. While previous studies have highlighted the link between self-efficacy and mental health, especially concerning depressive symptoms, the potential mediating role of the big five personality traits in this relationship remains underexplored. This study aims to examine the relationships among self-efficacy, the big five personality traits, and depressive symptoms through a mediation model. Methods: This cross-sectional study utilized a multi-stage stratified random sampling method to survey residents across 23 provinces in China, ultimately enrolling 1,193 university students aged 19-25. Measures included the PHQ-9 to assess depressive symptoms, the BFI-10 to evaluate personality traits, and the NGSES for self-efficacy. Hierarchical regression, random forest regression, mediation analyses, and restricted cubic spline (RCS) models were conducted using R software. Results: The prevalence of depressive symptoms among university students was 21.8%. Neuroticism ( Conclusions: Self-efficacy shows a direct positive association with depressive symptoms when controlling for personality traits, with neuroticism, agreeableness, and conscientiousness serving as key mediators. This highlights that the effect of self-efficacy on depression depends critically on personality, emphasizing the need to consider these traits in interventions for university students' mental health.
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