Background:Parental harsh parenting poses a significant risk for adolescent non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). This longitudinal study investigated whether emotional uncontrollability, deviant peer affiliation, and school disengagement mediate the link between harsh parenting and adolescent NSSI, and whether these pathways are moderated by adolescents' self-control. Method:A total of 513 Chinese adolescents (Mage = 10.32 years; SD = 0.96 years) were assessed at two time points six months apart. Results:T1 parental harsh parenting positively predicted T2 emotional uncontrollability, deviant peer affiliation, and school disengagement. T2 emotional uncontrollability and deviant peer affiliation, in turn, were associated with T2 NSSI. The mediating effect of T2 emotional uncontrollability on the relationship between T1 harsh parenting and T2 NSSI was significant. Moreover, this indirect link was significant for adolescents with low self-control, but not for those with high self-control. Conclusion:These findings highlighting the critical role of emotional uncontrollability as a mediator and, more importantly, self-control as a key moderator that buffers this risk pathway. These results suggest that interventions aimed at enhancing self-regulation and emotion-management skills may help mitigate the risk of NSSI among adolescents exposed to harsh parenting.

Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) poses a pressing issue for adolescents, with Deviant Peer Affiliation (DPA) being a key risk factor. This study examined the longitudinal link between DPA and IGD in adolescents, with a focus on the role of self-control and parent-adolescent conflict. A total of 886 Chinese adolescents (466 boys and 420 girls) participated in this three-wave longitudinal study. The results showed that DPA at T1 significantly predicted IGD at T3, with self-control at T2 mediating this relationship. Furthermore, parent-adolescent conflict significantly moderated the indirect association through self-control. This association was more pronounced among adolescents with high levels of parent-adolescent conflict. These findings confirm the longitudinal link between DPA and adolescent IGD through a moderated mediation model, with self-control as a mediator and parent-adolescent conflict as a moderator. The findings further underscore the importance of targeted interventions to prevent IGD among adolescents.

Parental psychological control has been linked to a rise in adolescent Internet gaming disorder (IGD). However, the influence of such control is shaped by ecological microsystems and family contextual factors, which remain insufficiently explored. The purpose of this study was to investigate how two microsystems—family and peers—jointly influence adolescent IGD, drawing on ecological systems theory and self-determination theory. Specifically, we examined peer victimization as a peer microsystem factor and the parent–adolescent relationship as a family context factor in the longitudinal pathway from parental psychological control to IGD. A total of 1,053 adolescents (mean age 11.43 ± 1.55 years, 540 males) completed questionnaires at three time points (T1, T2, T3, spanning 12 months with 6-month intervals). Based on this longitudinal design, a moderated mediation model revealed that parental psychological control at T1 predicted greater IGD at T3 via peer victimization at T2. Moreover, a high-quality parent–adolescent relationship amplified the effect of parental psychological control at T1 on peer victimization at T2, resulting in lower peer victimization in low psychological control and higher peer victimization in high psychological control. These findings highlight the importance of considering the complex dynamics between the parent–adolescent relationship and parenting styles in interventions for IGD.

IntroductionKindergarten teachers often experience significant job stress and have increasingly high turnover rates. Professional identity is associated with burnout and turnover intention, underscoring the importance of exploring the key factors that enhance it in teachers. Professional identity development is influenced by the working environment and constrained by teachers’ individual factors, such as achievement goal orientations and job stress. However, limited number of studies have investigated the mediating role of achievement goal orientation in the relationship between organizational support and professional identity. Therefore, this study focused on the impact of perceived organizational support on kindergarten teachers’ professional identities and examined the mediating role of their achievement goals and moderating role of job stress.MethodsThis study conducted a questionnaire survey of 1,475 kindergarten teachers in China through random sampling (97% women, Mage = 34.01 years, SD = 8.41 years), measuring perceived organizational support, job stress, achievement goal orientation, and professional identity.ResultsThe results indicated that achievement goal orientations mediated the relationship between perceived organizational support and professional identity. Additionally, job stress moderated the influence of perceived organizational support on specific goal orientations.DiscussionThis study makes unique contributions by unraveling the distinct motivational pathways through which perceived organizational support influences professional identity, while highlighting the contextual role of job stress in shaping these mechanisms in Chinese kindergarten teachers.

Adolescent non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a significant public health concern. Extensive research indicates that individuals with alexithymia are at risk for NSSI. However, it remains unclear whether alexithymia serves as a proximal mechanism through which distal adverse environmental factors-such as negative parenting-influence adolescent NSSI and whether this mechanism varies depending on individual genetic differences. This study investigated the mediating role of alexithymia in the relationship between negative parenting and adolescent NSSI, as well as the moderating effect of the DRD2 Taq1A gene. Longitudinal data were collected from 477 Chinese adolescents (Mage = 12.81, 47.81% girls). The results showed that alexithymia significantly mediated the link between negative parenting and adolescent NSSI and the mediating effect was moderated by the DRD2 Taq1A gene. Specifically, the mediating effect of alexithymia on the link between negative parenting and NSSI was significant among adolescents carrying the A1A1 genotype, but not among those carrying the A2 allele. These findings advance our understanding of how negative parenting relates to adolescent NSSI and highlight the critical roles of alexithymia and genetic sensitivity in relation to NSSI. They also underscore the potential value of integrating psychological and genetic factors into targeted prevention and intervention strategies for NSSI in adolescents.

Internet gaming disorder (IGD) jeopardizes adolescents' physical and psychological health and often co-occurs with depression and emotion dysregulation. The current understanding of the symptom-level associations among IGD, depression, and emotion dysregulation remains limited. This study explored the unique longitudinal relationships among the symptoms of IGD, depression, and emotion dysregulation in adolescents. In total, 466 boys and 420 girls completed the IGD, Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression, and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation scales at three time points (Time 1, Time 2, and Time 3), with each wave spaced six months apart. Their ages ranged from 9 to 13 years, with a mean age of 10.17 years (SD = 0.73). A cross-lagged panel network (CLPN) was used for the data analysis. CLPN analysis indicated that "psychosocial problems", "depressed affect", and "somatic and retarded activity" were the most impactful symptoms from T1 to T2. From T2 to T3, "depressed affect", "lack of emotional clarity", and "psychosocial problems" were the most impactful symptoms. Additionally, "depressed affect" was the most important bridging symptom in the network. Notably, reciprocal relationships were observed among several factors: between "somatic and retarded activity" and "uncontrollability", between "limited access to emotion regulation strategies" and "uncontrollability", and between "somatic and retarded activity" and "difficulties engaging in goal-directed". This pattern points to a potential self-reinforcing cycle. This study identified the specific bidirectional predictive relationships among IGD, depression, and emotion dysregulation at the symptom level in adolescents. Additionally, it pinpointed central and bridging symptoms as targets for preventing co-occurring issues. The results underscore the imperative to design targeted strategies that bolster adolescents' psychological health.

School bullying climate is a known risk factor for adolescent mobile phone dependence, yet the mechanisms linking these two constructs and the boundary conditions of protective factors remain underexplored. The present study aimed to examine the mediating role of emotional regulation difficulties in the relationship between school bullying climate and mobile phone dependence among left-behind children, as well as the moderating role of psychological resilience in this mediating pathway. The final analytical sample consisted of 300 left-behind children who completed two waves of surveys separated by a six-month interval. Participants completed the School Bullying Climate Scale, the Brief Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, the Mobile Phone Dependence Scale, and the Psychological Resilience Scale. Data were analyzed using the PROCESS macro for SPSS (Model 4 for mediation and Model 58 for moderated mediation), controlling for age, gender, and baseline mobile phone dependence. School bullying climate was significantly positively correlated with mobile phone dependence among left-behind children six months later (r = 0.14, p < 0.05), and emotional regulation difficulties mediated this relationship (indirect effect = 0.03, 95% CI = [0.001, 0.077]). Psychological resilience significantly moderated the path from school bullying climate to emotional regulation difficulties (b = 0.19, p < 0.05). Specifically, for left-behind children with high psychological resilience, the relationship between school bullying climate and emotional regulation difficulties was significant (b = 0.29, p < 0.01); for those with low psychological resilience, this relationship was not significant (b = 0.02, p > 0.05). Notably, psychological resilience played a conditional moderating role: only under a low school bullying climate is high psychological resilience associated with lower emotional regulation difficulties in left-behind children.

IntroductionDue to the unique challenges and high-intensity emotional labor in their work, kindergarten teachers’ high levels of job burnout and turnover rate have become a widely recognized social issue. To address this situation, exploring the key factors that enhance kindergarten teachers’ professional identity is of paramount importance. Professional identity development is influenced not only by the cultural contexts and workplace environment but also by individual teacher characteristics. However, existing research on how environmental and psychological factors interact to influence the professional identity of kindergarten teachers is scarce.MethodsThis study examined the effects of perceived school goal structure on kindergarten teachers’ professional identity and explored the mediating role of basic psychological needs satisfaction (BPNS) and the moderating role of growth mindsets. A questionnaire survey was conducted with 1,475 kindergarten teachers from China, selected using random sampling.ResultsThe results demonstrated that school learning and performance goal structures indirectly affected teachers’ professional identity through the mediating role of BPNS; however, only the school learning goal structure directly affected professional identity. Additionally, growth mindsets only moderated the relationship between school performance goal structure and BPNS. Regardless of the school performance goal structure, teachers with strong growth mindsets reported higher levels of BPNS than those with weak growth mindsets.DiscussionThis study provides a solid theoretical foundation and practical guidance for improving teachers’ professional identity within the unique sociocultural context of China.

Previous quantitative genetic studies have demonstrated that adolescent self-control is influenced by parenting and genetics. In most existing studies, researchers have explored only the impact of the interaction between a single gene and parental factors on adolescent prosocial behaviour, but exploration of the endophenotype mechanism underlying the impact of the interaction between genes and the environment on prosocial behaviour is lacking. According to social cognitive models of prosocial behaviors, sociocognitive and socioemotive traits may be important mediators of environmental and genetic interactions on individual behaviors. In recent years, the single-polymorphism GxE design has been criticized for unreliable findings and difficult replication. As a potential solution, researchers have constructed multilocus genetic profile scores MGPSs) to explore how environmental factors interact with genetic factors to predict adolescent development. Therefore, this study examined self-control as a mediator of the link between parental emotional warmth and adolescents' prosocial behavior. Furthermore, this study developed an MGPS composed of five functional SNPs (COMT gene rs6269, HTR2A gene rs6313, OXTR gene rs53576, OXTR gene rs2254295, and OXTR gene rs2254298) and examined whether the MGPS moderates the mediating effect of self-control. Using a 2-time longitudinal design (6 months apart), this study recruited 880 adolescents by cluster sampling at T1 in Guangzhou, China. All adolescents completed questionnaires about parental emotional warmth, prosocial behavior, and demographic characteristics and provided saliva samples for DNA extraction. At T2, 723 adolescents remained in the study and reported their prosocial behavior and self-control. All polymorphisms were genotyped using SNaPshot analysis (Applied Biosystems). After controlling for the baseline levels of prosocial behavior, parental emotional warmth positively and significantly predicted adolescents' prosocial behavior. Self-control mediated the link between parental emotional warmth and adolescents' prosocial behavior. Furthermore, the MGPS moderated the mediating mechanism but not the direct impact of parental emotional warmth on adolescents' prosocial behavior, and the model coefficients were invariant for mothers and fathers. Specifically, the MGPS moderated the effect of parental emotional warmth on self-control such that the effect was stronger in adolescents with higher MGPS than in those with lower MGPS. For adolescents with higher MGPS, parental emotional warmth was related to higher levels of self-control, which in turn increased prosocial behavior. However, this mediating effect was not observed among adolescents with lower MGPS. The results highlight the importance of examining multiple genes and endophenotypic mechanisms to explore the relationship between gene-environmental interactions and adolescents' prosocial behavior and provide new evidence for the "environmentxpolygene-endophenotypic-behavior" research framework

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a widespread behavior among adolescents that severely damages their physical and mental well-being. Research indicates that deviant peer affiliation serves as an indicator of adolescents' vulnerability to NSSI. However, insufficient research has been conducted to explore the mechanisms underlying how and when deviant peer affiliation is associated with adolescent NSSI. Therefore, this study employed a longitudinal design encompassing three phases to examine the serial mediation effects of basic psychological needs satisfaction (BPNS) and depression on the relationship between deviant peer affiliation and NSSI among adolescents in China, while also considering the moderating role of emotion dysregulation in this serial mediation model (N = 886, M-age at T1 = 10.17 years, SD = 0.73 years). The results revealed that the linkage between T1 deviant peer affiliation and T3 NSSI was serially mediated by T2 BPNS and T2 depression. Additionally, a moderating effect of T2 emotion dysregulation was revealed. Specifically, among adolescents with a high level of emotion dysregulation, the serial mediation effect of BPNS and depression on the correlation between deviant peer affiliation and NSSI was stronger. This study enhances our understanding of the mechanisms linking deviant peer affiliation and NSSI among early adolescents and offers a new perspective for preventing and intervening in NSSI.

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicidality in adolescents represent urgent public health concerns. Although distinct, these behaviors share several underlying mechanisms. To clarify their relationship and inform prevention strategies, it is crucial to identify the factors most strongly associated with NSSI and suicidality in early adolescence, as well as those that exert common influences on both. In this study, a survey of 625 Chinese early adolescents (Mage = 10.36 years, SD = 0.93 years) was conducted, and network analysis was used to examine the interconnections among NSSI, suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and multiple influencing factors. Results showed that harsh parenting, interparental conflict, and perceived burdensomeness were central factors for the concurrent prevention and intervention of NSSI, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts. Furthermore, meaning in life and deviant peer affiliation emerged as important factors influencing both NSSI and suicidal ideation. These findings provide a robust theoretical foundation and practical direction for the early identification and mitigation of adolescent NSSI and suicidality.

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) has become a significant public health issue, garnering attention from across society. While it has been established that family economic hardship serves as a risk factor for adolescent NSSI, the underlying mechanisms connecting these two factors remain to be fully elucidated. Based on a gene-environment interaction perspective, this research explored whether peer victimization acts as a mediator in the link between family economic hardship and adolescent NSSI, and whether the COMT rs4680 polymorphism moderates this indirect path. A total of 477 Chinese adolescents (Mage=12.81 years, SD = 0.48 years, 47.80

IntroductionDepression is highly prevalent among college students, and accurately identifying risk factors is essential for timely intervention. Given the limitations of traditional linear models in managing high-dimensional data, this study employed machine learning techniques to predict depressive symptoms.MethodData were collected from 1,635 Chinese college students and included 38 sociodemographic, psychological, and social variables. Four machine- learning algorithms, Random Forest, XGBoost, LightGBM, and Support Vector Machine, were evaluated.ResultsResults showed that the Random Forest model achieved the highest discriminant performance with an AUC of 0.87 and an accuracy of 0.79, and identified key predictors such as sleep disturbance, perceived stress, experiential avoidance, and self-criticism. SHapley Additive exPlanations analysis further revealed that deteriorating sleep quality and heightened stress levels significantly increased the risk of depressive symptoms.DiscussionThese findings validate the effectiveness of Random Forest in capturing complex data interactions and offer actionable insights for targeted mental health interventions. Future studies should improve generalizability by incorporating more diverse samples and physiological biomarkers.

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is prevalent among early adolescents. However, few studies have explored the complex psychosocial mechanisms underlying NSSI among this population. This study aimed to examine the roles of Internet gaming disorder (IGD) and peer victimization by linking emotional insecurity to NSSI during early adolescence. Data were collected from 886 adolescents across four primary schools at three time points, spaced six months apart, using multi-stage random sampling. All participants were of Han ethnicity, with a mean age of 10.17 years. Girls accounted for 47.4% of the sample. The results indicated that IGD served as a mediator in the relationship between emotional insecurity and adolescent NSSI. Furthermore, this indirect effect was significantly moderated by peer victimization, such that the mediating role of IGD was only significant among adolescents experiencing high levels of peer victimization. These findings emphasized the longitudinal pathways through which emotional insecurity contributes to NSSI and have important implications for prevention and intervention strategies targeting NSSI among early adolescents.

Background: Adolescent non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) has emerged as a progressively widespread and significant public health concern on a global scale. Research has increasingly documented a positive linkage between deviant peer affiliation and adolescent NSSI; however, there is little known about the underlying moderating or mediating mechanism of NSSI. According to the gene × environment interaction perspective, the current study investigated the intermediary function of depression in linking deviant peer affiliation to NSSI among adolescents, while also considering the moderating effect of the OXTR gene rs53576 polymorphism on this intermediary process. Methods: A total of 469 adolescents (Meanage = 12.81 years; SD = 0.47 years) anonymously finished the study questionnaires. This study used structural equation modeling analysis to verify a moderated mediation model. Gender, age, and family financial difficulties were used as covariates. Results: Mediation analyses suggested that the positive connection between deviant peer affiliation and adolescent NSSI was mediated by depression. Moreover, the moderated mediation analyses revealed that deviant peer affiliation increased depression levels, which in turn contributed to increased NSSI among adolescents with the AA genotype. Nevertheless, the correlation failed to reach statistical significance among adolescents possessing the GA and GG genotypes. Conclusions: These findings emphasize depression’s potential as a bridge linking deviant peer affiliation to adolescent NSSI. The AA genotype of the OXTR gene rs53576 emerges as a critical risk factor in the enhancement of this indirect effect. This study provides valuable perspectives for designing intervention strategies aimed at reducing adolescent NSSI.

Abstract Background Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a serious public health concern. Emotional insecurity is a crucial predictor of NSSI among adolescents. However, few studies have elucidated the specific mechanisms between emotional insecurity and NSSI. Methods This study employed a longitudinal research design, using a sample of 886 Chinese early adolescents (Mage at T1 = 10.62 years, SD = 0.77 years; 47.40% females), and conducted two surveys six months apart to examine the mediating role of peer exclusion between emotional insecurity and NSSI, as well as the moderating effect of school climate. Results The results indicated that peer exclusion significantly mediated the connection between emotional insecurity and adolescent NSSI. Moreover, school climate significantly moderated the connection between emotional insecurity and peer exclusion. Specifically, the impact of emotional insecurity on peer exclusion was significant only in adolescents who reported a negative school climate, but non-significant in those who reported a positive school climate. Conclusions These findings provide a robust theoretical foundation and practical insights to help inform the prevention of and interventions for NSSI in adolescents.

IntroductionAcademic stress is a significant and prevalent phenomenon among college students. According to the Demands-Resources Model, when individuals are unable to cope with stress that exceeds their capacity, burnout may occur. Although English courses hold a significant position in university education, there has been limited research on the mechanisms linking English academic stress to English academic burnout.MethodsThis study recruited 1,130 undergraduate students taking English courses. Participants completed online questionnaires assessing English academic stress, rumination, English academic burnout, and neuroticism traits. A moderated mediation model was constructed to examine the relationship among these variables.ResultsThe results indicate that (1) Rumination serves as a mediator in the relationship between English academic stress and burnout; (2) neuroticism significantly moderates the pathway between English academic stress and rumination. Specifically, students with high neuroticism tendencies are more prone to developing rumination when faced with high levels of English academic stress.ConclusionThese findings offer valuable insights into the psychological mechanisms underlying the association between English learning stress and academic burnout. They emphasize the importance of addressing rumination as a mediator and considering individuals’ levels of neuroticism in interventions aimed at preventing and alleviating academic burnout among university students.

IntroductionParenting and peer victimization (PV) are crucial for adolescent drinking. To further explore the cause of adolescent drinking, the present study investigated the role of PV and personal growth initiative (PGI) in the relationship between parental corporal punishment (PCP) and adolescent drinking.MethodsPresent study build moderated mediation models to test the hypothesis, and detailed analysis of gender differences was conducted on the models. The data were collected in a cross-sectional questionnaire study with n = 1,007 adolescents (mean age = 13.16 years, 51.84% girls, n = 522).ResultsModel analysis showed that: (1) PV totally mediated the relationship between PCP and adolescent girls’ drinking behavior; (2) The positive association between PV and drinking was only significant for girls with low PGI.DiscussionThese findings underscore the importance of the protective effect of a personality trait characterized by spontaneous self-promotion on adolescent girls’ drinking.

The literature provides empirical evidence that family economic hardship can increase the likelihood of adolescents engaging in non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). However, the mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear. Guided by the risky families model, this study aimed to investigate whether relative deprivation mediates the link between family economic hardship and adolescent NSSI, and whether self-esteem moderates this indirect link. A combined 673 adolescents (45.9% female; Mage = 12.81 years) completed measures of family economic hardship, relative deprivation, self-esteem, and NSSI. The results verified that relative deprivation mediated the positive link between family economic hardship and NSSI. Additionally, self-esteem moderated the effect of family economic hardship on relative deprivation. Adolescents possessing high self-esteem reported lower relative deprivation compared to those possessing low self-esteem, regardless of their level of family economic hardship. Notably, the mitigating effect of high self-esteem diminished with high family economic hardship. These findings provide deeper insights into the mechanisms by which family economic hardship affect adolescent NSSI, and have practical implications for prevention and intervention strategies targeting this behavior.

BackgroundPrimary and secondary school teachers are a high-risk group for job burnout, and how to alleviate their job burnout has become an increasingly urgent issue. Previous studies have paid less attention to the differential effects of the bidirectional interaction between work and family on the job burnout of the teachers. This study aim to explore the different impact of work–family conflict and family–work conflict on job burnout among primary and secondary school teachers, as well as its underlying mechanisms.MethodsThis study selected 2,184 primary and secondary school teachers in China (Mage = 37.26; SD = 9.40) as participants using a random sampling method. Using the SPSS Process 4.0 macro plugin constructed a moderated mediation model, the study explored the relationships between two different forms of work–family conflict, depression, cognitive reappraisal, and job burnout.ResultsThe study results indicated that both forms of work–family conflict were significantly positively related to the job burnout, and this relationship was influenced by the mediating role of depression. Furthermore, cognitive reappraisal moderated the relationship between depression and job burnout.ConclusionThis study revealed the potential pathways influencing job burnout among primary and secondary school teachers in the Chinese cultural context. Focusing on and alleviating work–family conflicts for primary and secondary school teachers is crucial for mitigating their occupational burnout. Additionally, teachers should also carefully and reasonably use cognitive reappraisal as an emotional regulation strategy to adjust the impact of depression on occupational burnout.