This study examined the mediating role of forgiveness in the relationship between unfinished business and psychological resilience among university students. A total of 434 undergraduate students (299 females, 134 males, 1 other; Mage = 22.21, SDage = 3.95) participated in the study. Participants completed a demographic information form, the Unfinished Business Scale, the Connor-Davidson Psychological Resilience Scale - Short Form, and the Heartland Forgiveness Scale (assessing self-, other-, and situational forgiveness). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analyses, and multiple mediation analyses with Process Model 4 employing regression-based bootstrapping techniques. The results indicated that the proposed mediation model explained 23% of the variance in psychological resilience. Self-forgiveness emerged as a significant mediator in the relationship between unfinished business and psychological resilience, whereas forgiveness of others and forgiveness of situations did not demonstrate significant mediating effects. Specifically, unfinished business was associated with lower psychological resilience through reduced self-forgiveness. These findings suggest that interventions aimed at enhancing psychological resilience among university students experiencing unfinished business may particularly benefit from fostering self-forgiveness.
Research indicates a link between social media addiction and eating disorders. However, an ongoing debate persists regarding the mediating and/or moderating factors that may influence this relationship. Therefore, this study explored how body appreciation mediates the connection between social media addiction and eating disorders while also examining the moderating role of gender on this mediation effect. A total of 333 college students (Mage = 22.99; SDage = 2.95) participated in and completed the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire, Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale, Body Appreciation Scale, and a Demographic Information Form. Results from the moderated mediation analysis using Hayes's PROCESS Version 4.2 (Model 59) revealed that social media addiction was indirectly associated with eating disorder symptoms via body appreciation. Notably, this mediation effect was significant for women but not for men. This indicates that for women, excessive social media usage may contribute to disordered eating by undermining their positive body image. We discussed the implications of the findings for future research, as well as for interventions and prevention strategies aimed at educators and mental health professionals working with emerging adult women.
This three-wave longitudinal study employed separate cross-lagged panel models to examine the temporal associations among hope, self-compassion, and mental health outcomes (anxiety and depression) among Chinese college students (N = 445). Data collected over three time points at six-month intervals revealed reciprocal positive prediction between hope and self-compassion, indicating that these psychological resources may mutually sustain each other over time. Additionally, self-compassion consistently predicted lower subsequent levels of both anxiety and depression, while anxiety demonstrated a negative predictive effect on later self-compassion. Longitudinal mediation analyses suggested that self-compassion served as a significant pathway through which hope was associated with subsequent reductions in both anxiety and depression. These findings highlight the longitudinal link between hope and self-compassion and underscore self-compassion's role as a potential protective factor against emotional distress. The study provides empirical support for integrating hope and self-compassion into targeted interventions aimed at addressing anxiety and depression in college student populations.
Migraine is a chronic neurological condition that significantly impairs daily functioning and quality of life. This study investigated how psychological factors, including anxiety, depression, perceived stress, and pain catastrophizing, influence migraine symptom severity and quality of life among 128 patients attending outpatient clinics in SADAT City, Egypt. Participants completed validated Arabic versions of the Migraine Disability Assessment, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Pain Catastrophizing Scale, Migraine-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire, and Perceived Stress Scale. Findings revealed high levels of psychological distress, with over two-thirds of participants reporting elevated anxiety and depression symptoms. Correlation and regression analyses demonstrated that depression and perceived stress were strong predictors of migraine severity and diminished quality of life, while anxiety and catastrophizing also contributed significantly. Female participants exhibited higher anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and catastrophizing levels compared to males. These results highlight the central role of psychological distress in exacerbating migraine burden and reducing overall well-being. The findings emphasize the necessity of integrating psychological assessment and interventions, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy and stress management, into migraine treatment plans. This study contributes to the literature by simultaneously examining multiple psychological predictors of migraine disability and migraine-specific quality of life within an underrepresented clinical population in Egypt, providing further evidence for the biopsychosocial understanding of migraine. Addressing emotional and cognitive factors may enhance clinical outcomes and improve patients' functional and emotional quality of life.
Hate, an intense negative emotion, can disrupt and damage interpersonal relationships following transgressions. Despite its destructive potential, the psychological mechanism that fuels hate remains poorly understood. Anger has been identified as a primary component of hate, yet anger and hate differ in their appraisal tendencies and motivational goals. This raises a critical question: how does anger contribute to the emergence of hate? To address this, the present study examined the interplay among anger, anger rumination, grudge, and hate. A total of 740 participants completed self-report measures of these constructs. Using network analysis with regularization methods, followed by serial mediation analysis, we mapped the structural relations among the variables and tested directional pathways. Network analysis revealed grudge as the most central and influential variable showing the highest strength, betweenness, and closeness indices. Further, serial mediation analysis revealed that the relationship between anger and hate is serially mediated by anger rumination and grudge. These findings suggest that when anger is not regulated effectively, it may intensify through ruminative thinking and unresolved grudges, resulting in hate. The findings highlight the importance of targeting the maladaptive anger process, particularly rumination and unresolved grudges, in interventions designed to prevent interpersonal anger from transforming into hate.
Drawing on the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) framework, this study examines how psychological capital (PsyCap) translates into employee performance through self-leadership and how this process unfolds under toxic leadership conditions. Extending JD-R theory, we propose that personal resources require behavioral activation mechanisms and function contingently within adverse leadership contexts. Data were collected from 406 employees in the Turkish banking sector. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) via SmartPLS 4 was utilized to test the proposed conditional process model. This study extends JD-R theory by demonstrating that personal resources are neither automatically performance-producing nor universally protective. Results indicate that PsyCap enhances employee performance through self-leadership, supporting a complementary mediation path where self-leadership serves as the primary conduit for resource mobilization. While toxic leadership negatively impacts performance, PsyCap acts as a demand-contingent buffer, significantly attenuating these detrimental effects as leadership toxicity increases. Additionally, multi-group analysis reveals that internal agency mechanisms are career-stage contingent: seniors use PsyCap as a protective buffer (moderation), while juniors rely more on the behavioral activation (PsyCap to SL) of their resources. By integrating motivational and buffering mechanisms, the findings contribute to global goals for decent work and employee well-being (SDG 3 & 8).
Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is characterized by an increased self-perception of one's own appearance and an intense aspiration for beauty, which may elevate the likelihood of being easily suggestible, cause mental suffering, and impair ego functions. This study investigated the direct and indirect impacts of suggestibility and psychic pain on symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) through the mediating role of defense mechanisms. The study encompassed 150 BDD patients chosen through purposive sampling in a cross-sectional design. The data were collected using the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale-Form C (SHSS-C), the Mental Pain Scale (MPS), the Defense Style Questionnaire (DSQ-40), and the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale modified for Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD-YBOCS). Suggestibility and psychic pain indicated significant direct effects on BDD. Analysis showed that suggestibility and psychic pain have significant positive indirect roles in BDD through the mediating role of defense mechanisms. Altogether, suggestibility, psychic pain, and defense mechanisms explained 78.2% variations of the variation in symptoms of BDD. The results showed a good conceptual model of the direct and indirect effects of suggestibility and psychic pain on BDD symptoms, mediated by defense mechanisms in this study. These findings have practical implications for the management of suggestibility, psychic pain, and immature and neurotic defensive mechanisms in patients with BDD using community-based programs and psychodynamic psychotherapies.
University students navigate a critical developmental period that can challenge psychological wellbeing. Most research addresses symptoms or single risk factors, but less is known about how internal strengths and contextual supports jointly shape it. This study aimed to identify latent profiles of psychosocial functioning based on indicators of wellbeing, psychological distress, internal and external resources. Italian university students (N = 1077; Mage = 21.78; range = 19-29; 77.6% female) completed self-report measures assessing wellbeing, internalizing symptoms, and personal, social, and academic resources. Four distinct profiles emerged by latent profile analysis: Flourishing-Low Symptoms (21.4%), the most resilient group; Moderate Symptoms-Relational Supported (21.0%), with moderate symptoms but intact supports; Intermediate Symptoms-Relational Strain (36.2%), with moderate symptoms and relational difficulties; Distressed-Low Wellbeing (21.4%), showing highest distress and lowest resources. Profiles also differed significantly in sociodemographic and health-related characteristics and across all psychological, interpersonal, and contextual variables. The distinction between the two intermediate profiles indicates that similar levels of distress may coexist with different configurations of relational support, suggesting the need for differentiated preventive interventions. Findings emphasize the central role of external supports and relational contexts in sustaining students' adjustment and show that differences in internal resources meaningfully separate more resilient from more vulnerable profiles.
Affective touch plays a major role in emotional development, and deficits may be linked to later psychological difficulties. Past research has shown that emotion dysregulation and dissociation are common in both borderline personality traits and psychosis proneness. This study explored the relationship between childhood affective touch, borderline traits, and psychosis proneness, with emotion dysregulation and dissociation as mediators. It also examined whether dissociation would mediate the link between borderline personality features and psychosis proneness. A sample of 206 participants completed online self-report measures assessing childhood affective touch, emotion dysregulation, dissociative experiences, borderline traits, and psychosis proneness. Data were analyzed using bivariate correlations, multiple regression, and PROCESS Model 6. Childhood affective touch was indirectly linked to both borderline traits and psychosis proneness through emotion dysregulation and dissociation. Direct effects were not significant, supporting full mediation. Furthermore, dissociation significantly mediated the relationship between borderline personality features and psychosis proneness. Results suggest that early affective touch problems may contribute to psychological outcomes through effects on emotion regulation and dissociation. Future research should include clinical samples and a longitudinal design to better understand these pathways.
Evaluating novel opportunities under uncertainty is inherently cognitively demanding, yet limited research has examined how perceived mental effort relates to such judgments. Drawing on Cognitive Load Theory, this study investigates how perceived cognitive effort is associated with evaluative judgments when individuals assess technologically novel stimuli. Using a vignette-based experimental survey in which the innovativeness of the technological stimulus was manipulated (high vs. low), data were collected from 404 technology-oriented entrepreneurs, with all focal constructs measured through self-report scales. Perceived cognitive effort was associated with lower opportunity beliefs and expected returns. Risk-taking propensity attenuated the negative association between cognitive effort and expected returns, while informational social influence mitigated its negative association with opportunity beliefs. These findings indicate that perceived cognitive effort functions as a conditional cognitive constraint rather than a uniformly inhibiting factor in judgment under uncertainty.
In the digital age, individuals are increasingly exposed to negative online content, contributing to the widespread behavior known as doomscrolling. Doomscrolling may negatively affect cognitive and emotional processes, as well as psychological variables such as rumination, hope, and subjective vitality. The present study examined the serial mediating roles of rumination and hope in the relationship between doomscrolling and subjective vitality among 324 adults (M = 35.24, SD = 10.44) from different regions of Türkiye. Structural equation modeling revealed that doomscrolling indirectly decreased subjective vitality through increased rumination and reduced hope. Specifically, higher levels of doomscrolling were associated with greater rumination, which in turn diminished hope and subjective vitality. These findings suggest that repetitive negative thought patterns and decreased belief in future goals may undermine well-being. Strengthening hope and adopting digital self-regulation strategies-such as limiting news exposure, taking social media breaks, and practicing digital detox-may serve as protective factors against the detrimental effects of doomscrolling.
Loneliness has increasingly become a focal point of empirical research. In identifying psychological vulnerabilities associated with loneliness, emotion regulation difficulties have emerged as a potential risk factor. While a robust association between emotion dysregulation and loneliness is well established, longitudinal evidence remains limited. To address this gap, we surveyed a community sample (N = 492 at baseline; 374 women; Mage = 25.47 years; n = 368 at T2, n = 229 at T3) over six months, with assessments at three time points. We tested a three-wave, time-separated mediation model examining the prospective associations between baseline emotion regulation difficulties and loneliness assessed six months later, with social anxiety and depressive symptoms at T2 specified as parallel mediators. After adjusting for prior levels of the focal constructs and concurrent associations among T2 variables, baseline emotion regulation difficulties predicted higher levels of social anxiety and depressive symptoms at T2. Only social anxiety at T2 was associated with loneliness at T3, and the indirect association from baseline emotion regulation difficulties to loneliness at T3 was supported through social anxiety. These findings suggest that emotion dysregulation may be linked to later loneliness primarily via elevated social anxiety, highlighting the value of intervention approaches that target emotion regulation skills and social anxiety in efforts to reduce loneliness.
Hostile co-parenting can escalate during separation and divorce with significant ramifications on family relationships. The relational and private nature of this behavior can make it hard to document, study, and understand. The purpose of the present study was to determine how relational aggression targeting the co-parent (and former romantic partner), is associated with relational aggression targeting the parent-child bond. The sample consisted of 103 divorced/separated parents (45% fathers) who were co-parenting at least one child with their former partner (Mage years = 43.66, SD = 9.39). Parents completed measures assessing their engagement in different forms of relational aggression (toward their former partner and the child(ren)), relational abuse (from their romantic partner and their child(ren)), maladaptive personality traits, and vignettes assessing perceptions of loyalty/betrayal. Results suggest that parents who reported elevated levels of romantic relational abuse and who had stronger beliefs about betrayal (rating it as morally unacceptable) also reported more frequent engagement in both forms of relational aggression. Maladaptive personality traits (both psychopathic and narcissistic traits) were linked with romantic relational aggression. Perceptions of loyalty moderated the link between parental narcissistic traits and romantic relational aggression; and the link between parental psychopathic traits and excluding the co-parent, with parents more strongly opposed, engaging in these behaviors. The positive association among the two forms of relational aggression suggest that parent-child bond-breaking behaviors are best understood in the context of wider engagement in relational aggression, however each form of relational aggression has its unique nuances which need to be considered when developing prevention and intervention programs.
Academic procrastination is prevalent among Chinese college students, significantly impacting their academic performance and quality of life. As a stable personality, the underlying pathway linking trait anxiety to academic procrastination among college students requires further investigation. This study aims to explore the association between trait anxiety and academic procrastination while examining the chained mediating pathway formed by self-control and short video addiction. Using data from a two-wave longitudinal study of 727 Chinese college students, this study employs cross-lagged and mediation models to systematically examine the relationship between trait anxiety and academic procrastination, as well as the mediation role of self-control in short video addiction. Research findings indicate that trait anxiety is associated with a direct positive influence on academic procrastination. Additionally, trait anxiety is also associated with academic procrastination through chain mediation effects involving self-control and short video addiction. Furthermore, we discovered a potential reciprocal relationship between short video addiction and academic procrastination. This study offers a new perspective on the relationship between trait anxiety and academic procrastination, providing a theoretical basis for subsequent interventions.
Envy manifests in two distinct forms: benign envy, which arises from upward social comparisons and motivates self-improvement (e.g., exerting effort to bridge competence gaps), and malicious envy, which provokes hostile intentions to diminish others' advantages (e.g., derogating peers' accomplishments). Resilience, the capacity to cope effectively with adversity, may shape responses to upward social comparison by channeling envy toward benign self-improvement motivation and away from malicious, other-derogating motivation. We employed a longitudinal study and a weekly diary method to investigate the bidirectional relationship between resilience and benign and malicious envy, examining both trait and state levels. In Study 1, 208 adolescents were recruited as participants for a three-wave, three-year longitudinal study. In Study 2, 463 adolescents were recruited for a weekly diary survey over seven weeks. Our findings revealed that in the 3-year longitudinal study (trait level), resilience consistently predicted benign and malicious envy, while in the 7-week diary method (state level), a bidirectional predictive relationship exists between resilience and benign and malicious envy. Our study informs the practice of emotional well-being interventions that can effectively inhibit the negative effects of malicious envy while promoting the positive effects of benign envy by enhancing resilience.
Group identity not only shapes individuals' psychology and behavior but also plays an important role in social stability and development. However, earlier studies have largely overlooked the relationship between shared negative experience and group identity and their underlying mechanisms, with few empirical studies examining their causal relationship. Based on Social Identity Theory, this research conducted three experiments to examine how shared negative experience shapes group identity and to explore the underlying mechanisms. Results suggested that (1) shared negative experience enhanced group identity among co-experiencers; (2) perceived similarity partially mediated the link between shared negative experience and group identity; (3) group boundary permeability moderated the link between perceived similarity and group identity. Specifically, in the low group boundary permeability condition, perceived similarity fostered stronger group identity, whereas this positive effect weakened in the high boundary permeability condition. This research demonstrated the causal relationship between shared negative experience and group identity, deepening the understanding of group identity formation while providing theoretical and practical implications for interventions aimed at enhancing group identity.
Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACOAs) face myriad challenges related to experiencing negative life events resulting from their parents' problematic drinking. ACOAs are at an elevated risk of developing alcohol-related problems and psychological distress, which may influence their overall well-being. The current, cross-sectional study examined the association of forgiveness with both ACOA-related problems and alcohol-related problems among college students raised by parents with a history of problematic drinking (N = 348), as mediated by psychological distress (i.e., depression, anxiety, and stress). Results indicated that higher levels of forgiveness of self and forgiveness of uncontrollable situations were each associated with lower levels of depression, which in turn were associated with fewer alcohol-related problems. Higher levels of forgiveness of self and forgiveness of uncontrollable situations were associated with lower levels of depression and stress, which in turn were associated with fewer ACOA-related problems. However, forgiveness of self and forgiveness of uncontrollable situations each operated through less anxiety in association with more ACOA-related problems. Neither depression, anxiety, nor stress operated as mediators of the association of forgiveness of parent(s) alcohol use with ACOA-related or alcohol-related problems. These findings suggest that certain dimensions of forgiveness, particularly self-forgiveness, may be crucial in mitigating psychological distress and related problems among ACOAs. The results highlight the potential importance of forgiveness-based interventions in addressing ACOA-related problems and problematic alcohol use among college students with a family history of alcohol problems.
The Covid-19 pandemic was associated with increases in negative mental health state for college students. In a post-pandemic environment, this negative mental health state seems to have lingered. We used factor analysis to uncover a latent variable that we called psychological strain, which represented an important combination of negative mental health effects many students have been experiencing, including mental health strain, mental instability, sadness, anxiety, and unhappiness. We then ran path analysis to see which factors most closely predicted psychological strain. As there have been calls to study the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on the mental health of college students, we also included them in our model. We produced a model that explained 56% of the variance in psychological strain (R2 = .559). We found social isolation (total effects = .454), household dysfunction (total effects = .261), and Covid-fear (total effects = .230) to be the most important risk factors, while appearance satisfaction (total effects = -.253) meaning in life (total effects = -0.154), and self-esteem (total effects = -.154) were the most important protective factors. We also ran discriminant function analysis and uncovered a latent variate, which we called consolation deficiency, which seems to reflect an important aspect that those high in ACEs may share. Consolation deficiency is defined as a consistent lack of actual or perceived validation, comfort, or relief, when dealing with psychological trauma or pain, often marked by maladaptive or impulsive behaviors.
Weight stigma is a common psychosocial stressor among adolescents and an important determinant of mental and physical well-being. However, the mechanisms through which it affects health outcomes remain insufficiently understood. This study explored the mediating and moderating roles of personality traits and perceived social support in the relationship between weight stigma and health outcomes in adolescents. A cross-sectional self-report study was conducted with 1,011 high school students (59.64% female; Mage = 16.50 years, SDage = 1.10), using validated measures of weight stigma, Big Five personality traits, perceived social support, mental health (anxiety, depression, stress), and somatization. Mediation and moderation were tested using path analysis models, controlling for gender and BMI. Results showed that weight stigma directly predicted higher anxiety, depression, stress, and somatization. Positive indirect effects of weight stigma on health outcomes were observed through neuroticism, family support, and teacher support. Frequent stigmatization predicted lower levels of perceived social support and higher neuroticism, which in turn predicted poorer health outcomes. Moderation analyses showed that higher neuroticism and extraversion increased the effects of weight stigma on anxiety, while extraversion buffered its effects on somatization. Interestingly, while family support generally serves as a protective factor against somatization, higher levels of support were associated with a stronger effect of weight stigma on somatization. These findings emphasize the complex interplay between weight stigma, individual traits, and social context, supporting a biopsychosocial understanding of adolescent health. Furthermore, they emphasize the need for a comprehensive prevention and intervention approach to support this vulnerable population.
While the Big Five personality traits are established predictors of Cultural Intelligence (CQ), broad dispositional frameworks often under-specify the concrete self-regulatory strategies individuals deploy when navigating cultural novelty. This study advances CQ research by examining the Change-Related Personality Typology, comprising Proactive, Adaptive, Passive, and Change-Resistant profiles, as theoretically meaningful antecedents of CQ. Grounded in Cognitive-Adaptive Trait Theory, we argue that the combination of change orientation (embrace vs. resist) and control strategy (primary vs. secondary) shapes intercultural competence. Data from 261 emergent adults in a multicultural university setting were analyzed using hierarchical regression with bootstrapping, Importance-Performance Map Analysis (IPMA), and Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA). Across analyses, Adaptive and Proactive personalities were robust positive predictors of CQ, whereas Change-Resistant personality showed a consistent negative association. Evidence for Passive personality was weaker and context-dependent, aligning with its low-activation behavioral profile. Steiger's Z-tests further indicated that Adaptive personality relates more strongly to CQ than Proactive personality and that Change-Resistant personality is more damaging than Passive personality. Moving beyond average effects, NCA showed that baseline levels of Proactive and Adaptive personality operate as necessary conditions for achieving high CQ, whereas IPMA highlighted Adaptive personality as the most impactful "driver" of CQ performance. Together, these findings refine dispositional models of CQ by distinguishing traits that increase CQ on average from traits that function as minimum prerequisites for high CQ.
