Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41797999›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in psychology2026

Psychological strain among Chinese master's students: protective mechanisms of self-esteem and influences of urban-rural background and gender.

Wei Li, Enshan Cui

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in psychology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Wei LiSchool of Marxism, Harbin Normal University, Harbin, China.
Enshan CuiUniversity of International Business and Economics, Beijing, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: In China, master's students form a large and growing population confronting unique developmental challenges, such as academic pressure and career uncertainty. However, specialized mental health research targeting this group, particularly focusing on the interplay between demographic factors and psychological resources, remains underdeveloped. This study investigates how residential background (rural vs. urban) and gender predict psychological strain among Chinese master's students, as well as the predictive and moderating roles of self-esteem in this relationship. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in August 2025 among 315 master's students at Jiamusi University, a public university in northeastern China. Participants completed the Psychological Strain Scale (PSS; Results: Rural students reported significantly higher total psychological strain and higher scores on all strain dimensions (aspiration, coping, deprivation, value strains) than their urban peers, with the largest difference observed in deprivation strain (Cohen's Discussion: Psychological strain in Chinese master's students is shaped by the complex interplay of structural (rural-urban background), cultural (gender roles), and psychological (self-esteem) factors. Self-esteem serves as a universal protective asset. Interventions should integrate structural equity measures, gender-responsive support, and universal self-esteem cultivation. Establishing a university-family-society collaborative education mechanism is crucial for effective mental health promotion.

Indexed as

Chinese master’s studentscollaborative educationgender differencespsychological strainrural–urban disparityself-esteem

Identifiers

PMID41797999
PMCPMC12963288

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.