View in EDS HTML Full Text PDF Full Text

Role of Virtues and Perceived Life Stress in Affecting Psychological Symptoms among Chinese College Students

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Role of Virtues and Perceived Life Stress in Affecting Psychological Symptoms among Chinese College Students
Language: English
Authors: Duan, Wenjie, Ho, Samuel M. Y., Siu, Bowie P. Y., Li, Tingting, Zhang, Yonghong
Source: Journal of American College Health. 2015 63(1):32-39.
Availability: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 8
Publication Date: 2015
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Asians, Symptoms (Individual Disorders), Role, Stress Variables, College Students, Mental Health, Mental Disorders, Undergraduate Students, Rating Scales, Correlation, Questionnaires, Personality Traits, Health Personnel, Likert Scales, Foreign Countries, Multiple Regression Analysis, Structural Equation Models
Geographic Terms: China
DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2014.963109
ISSN: 0744-8481
Abstract: Objective: This study explored the relationship among virtues, self-perceived life stress, and psychological symptoms. Participants: A total of 235 undergraduates participated in the study in March 2013. Methods: The participants were recruited to complete the Life Stress Rating Scale for College Students, the Chinese Virtues Questionnaire that measures 3 virtues (relationship, vitality, and conscientiousness), and the Symptom Checklist-90. Results: Regression analyses indicated that the perceived stress from minor events explained approximately 35.00% of the variance of psychological symptoms. Both vitality and conscientiousness contributed to another 6.00% of psychological symptoms. Perceived stress from minor events mediated the relationship between vitality and psychological symptoms, whereas conscientiousness directly affected psychological symptoms regardless of the perceived stress level. Conclusion: This study clarified the positive role of virtues in stressful situations among Chinese undergraduates. The results benefit the college health professionals in attending strengths of their clients in practice both in Eastern and Western countries.
Abstractor: As Provided
Number of References: 49
Entry Date: 2014
Accession Number: EJ1047926
Database: ERIC
Full text is not displayed to guests.
FullText Links:
  – Type: pdflink
    Url: https://content.ebscohost.com/cds/retrieve?content=AQICAHj0k_4E0hTGH8RJwT4gCJyBsGNe_WN95AvKlDbXJGqwxwExpCV_wk3DWgcuDh3uCUW-AAAA4jCB3wYJKoZIhvcNAQcGoIHRMIHOAgEAMIHIBgkqhkiG9w0BBwEwHgYJYIZIAWUDBAEuMBEEDEqCQXAImcNVaJcXOAIBEICBmsWTUNugjt5hWTo0vOMeB79az4YtwaYuW7_EDj9PIpxrEiKrMRgm1j_xM-06T8pZkfAp8nVdI6y_FAinzVWTOZUsMa24wCg1pJVSfsuwaZZWPWF4W0FogMaY0j3W1K_xZIIIbey0JUbhSB0p0nW2loyFrPEJNhKmLI7UWjjhQXvMTIkOKdc2KjALYjlTTA-268POjHqX0Zbn1dM=
Text:
  Availability: 1
  Value: <anid>AN0099963816;acl01jan.15;2019Mar27.12:41;v2.2.500</anid> <title id="AN0099963816-1">Role of Virtues and Perceived Life Stress in Affecting Psychological Symptoms Among Chinese College Students. </title> <p>Objective: This study explored the relationship among virtues, self-perceived life stress, and psychological symptoms. Participants: A total of 235 undergraduates participated in the study in March 2013. Methods: The participants were recruited to complete the Life Stress Rating Scale for College Students, the Chinese Virtues Questionnaire that measures 3 virtues (relationship, vitality, and conscientiousness), and the Symptom Checklist-90. Results: Regression analyses indicated that the perceived stress from minor events explained approximately 35.00% of the variance of psychological symptoms. Both vitality and conscientiousness contributed to another 6.00% of psychological symptoms. Perceived stress from minor events mediated the relationship between vitality and psychological symptoms, whereas conscientiousness directly affected psychological symptoms regardless of the perceived stress level. Conclusion: This study clarified the positive role of virtues in stressful situations among Chinese undergraduates. The results benefit the college health professionals in attending strengths of their clients in practice both in Eastern and Western countries.</p> <p>Keywords: perceived stress; psychological symptoms; virtues; mediator</p> <p>Several studies have demonstrated that stress is an important risk factor in the well-being and long-term health of various populations, and this relationship is influenced by different factors.[[<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref1">1</reflink>]] Individuals have different characteristics and personalities, and they cope with all types of stress at different stages of their lives in their own distinct ways; therefore, personalities or traits that are associated with stress link the life stress to psychosomatic symptoms.[<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref2">4</reflink>] Previous researchers indicated the moderating effect of openness to experience, extraversion, conscientiousness, and neuroticism within the framework of the Big Five Model, which is a classic theory to describe personalities on 5 dimensions (ie, openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism).[[<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref3">5</reflink>]] For instance, in a 2.5-year longitudinal study, Murphy et al[<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref4">7</reflink>] reported that participants with a higher level of conscientiousness constantly experience less academic and interpersonal stress. Another study illustrated neuroticism and introversion as the determinants of high chronic stress.[<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref5">8</reflink>] However, only a few studies examined the role of positive factors or personal resources (eg, hope, gratitude, and authenticity) in stress, which is a challenge in stress and health research and practice areas.[<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref6">4</reflink>]</p> <p>More recently, Peterson, Seligman, and their colleagues proposed a system of virtues as a major personal resource for enhancing well-being.[<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref7">9</reflink>] They defined virtues as "a property of the whole person and the life that person leads."[<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref8">9</reflink>]<sups>(p87)</sups> The system of virtues consists of 6 core virtues (wisdom/knowledge, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, and transcendence) and 24 character strengths.[[<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref9">9</reflink>]] Later studies have consistently indicated that virtues and their corresponding character strengths are negatively related to psychological symptoms.[<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref10">11</reflink>] Nevertheless, current studies have a strong bias toward examining the relationship between strengths and psychological outcomes.[[<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref11">11</reflink>]] Relatively few empirical studies have explored the function of virtues in psychological health and well-being. However, existing evidence suggests that virtues do play a signficiant role in generating positive mental health. For instance, a study explored the relationship among the virtue of wisdom, stress, and creative performance of employees.[<reflink idref="bib16" id="ref12">16</reflink>] The results suggested that stress partly mediated the relationship between the wisdom of participants and their performance on the creative task. Another study conducted among Chinese likewise revealed that the virtue of vitality is a positive predictor of the positive mental health of an individual.[<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref13">17</reflink>]</p> <p>The limited research on virtues may be partly attributed to several issues related to virtue assessment. The first issue is the structure of the 2-tier system (virtues vs character strengths). Kristjánsson[<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref14">18</reflink>] argued that the distinction between virtues and character strengths was not sufficiently clear. The former could be called "cardinal virtues" (ie, the aforementioned 6 core virtues, including wisdom/knowledge, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, and transcendence) and the latter "subvirtues" (ie, 24 character strengths in the virtue system, including self-regulation, hope, gratitude, love of learning, etc). Moreover, the virtues involved in the current system require better evidence and careful selection[<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref15">18</reflink>]; the current system also missed several key virtues (eg, emulousness) and included other unfitted virtues (eg, transcendence).[<reflink idref="bib19" id="ref16">19</reflink>] Kristjánsson[<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref17">18</reflink>] likewise raised the culturally dependent issue of virtues. The cultural invariance of the virtue classification proposed by Peterson et al has recently been examined in different cultures other than the United States; various structures of virtues were obtained.[[<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref18">20</reflink>]] The Combined Etic-Emic Approach was recommended in these multicultural studies,[[<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref19">24</reflink>]] which entails the development process of cross-cultural measurement for ensuring the conceptual equivalence, metric equivalence, functional equivalence, and linguisitc euqivalene. Generally, it requires identifying the universal items (ie, etic items) first, and then locally relevant items (ie, emic items) are added to the established etic instrument to form a combined and new instrument.[<reflink idref="bib25" id="ref20">25</reflink>] Duan, Ho, and their colleagues[<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref21">26</reflink>] adopted this approach to reduce the culturally inappropriate items and developed a 96-item Chinese Virtues Questionnaire to measure 3 virtues among the Chinese. Confirmatory factor analysis and psychometric evaluation suggested 3 well-established and culturally meaningful virtues, namely, relationship, vitality, and conscientiousness.[<reflink idref="bib27" id="ref22">27</reflink>] Relationship reflects the positive cognitions, emotions, and behaviors (ie, kindness, teamwork, fairness, love and being loved, authenticity, leadership, forgiveness, and gratitude) of interacting with other people; it manifests as an affinity in the process of interpersonal relationships. Vitality reflects the positive qualities to the world/society, such as humor, curiosity, zest, creativity, perspective, hope, social intelligence, beauty, bravery, and belief; it manifests as the vigorousness in the process of social environment and social relationships. Conscientiousness reflects intrapersonal traits, such as judgment, prudence, regulation, perseverance, learning, and modesty; it manifests the willpower in the process of individual regulations. Whether the preceding 3 virtues play a role in the stress-psychopathology relationship similar to the original 6 virtues proposed by Peterson, Seligman, and their colleagues has not been previously examined. Therefore, evidence on such relationships must be provided before meaningful assessment and intervention can be developed.</p> <hd id="AN0099963816-2">Theories and Hypotheses</hd> <p>Despite the lack of a sound theory to outline the relationship among virtues, stress, and psychological symptoms, the potential relationship among them can be hypothesized through the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping[<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref23">28</reflink>] and the Personality–Event Congruence Hypothesis.[<reflink idref="bib29" id="ref24">29</reflink>] The classical Transactional Model of Stress and Coping of Lazarus and Folkman[<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref25">28</reflink>] provides an underlying mechanism among individual psychological resources (ie, virtues), perceived stress, and psychological outcomes. Essentially, stressful experiences are individual-environment transactions, an outcome of the cognitive appraisal of personal resources and stressors. Previous research demonstrated that virtues, as positive psychological resources, are negatively related to psychological symptoms.[<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref26">11</reflink>] We hypothesize that individuals with higher level of virtues will perceive less stress, which in turn will cause fewer psychological symptoms (H<subs>1</subs>). The Personality–Event Congruence Hypothesis posits that personality-related vulnerabilities to specific stressors[<reflink idref="bib29" id="ref27">29</reflink>] (ie, different virtues) are sensitive to their correspondingly different stressful life events (eg, relationship to interpersonal events, vitality to daily hassles, etc). Accordingly, some individuals are more likely than others to develop psychological disorders because they tend to exhibit a maladaptive appraisal of stressful life events, and vice versa.[[<reflink idref="bib30" id="ref28">30</reflink>]] The aforementioned proposition suggests that virtues exhibit different functions in the face of different stressful events (H<subs>2</subs>).</p> <hd id="AN0099963816-3">The Present Study</hd> <p>The present study aims to explore the relationship of virtues, perceived life stress, and psychological symptoms among college students. Most undergraduates in Mainland China live on campus, and their chances of encountering major life events (eg, diagnosis of cancer, bereavement, and life-threatening accidents) are really small; most of their stress results from minor life events. Perceived stress from major and minor events is examined. To our best understanding, this work is the first study to examine the relationship of virtues, stress, and psychological symptoms. Our results can provide college mental health professionals with theoretical and practical insights into virtues research.</p> <hd id="AN0099963816-4">METHODS</hd> <p></p> <hd id="AN0099963816-5">Participants and Procedure</hd> <p>Undergraduate students of a university-wide elective course in Southwest University, Chongqing, China, were invited to participate in the investigation in the spring semester of 2013 (March). The teacher was one of the researchers of this study. The participants were asked to complete a questionnaire before the end of class and return the completed inventories immediately. Informed consent was obtained before the participants completed the questionnaires. Ethics approval was obtained from the School of Culture and Social Development Studies, Southwest University.</p> <p>A total of 235 undergraduates participated in the study, including 93 males and 142 females. The mean age was 18.58 years (<emph>SD</emph> =.77, ranging from 17 to 22). Roughly 44.70% (<emph>n</emph> = 105) came from urban areas, whereas 55.30% (<emph>n</emph> = 130) came from rural areas. As a result of the single-child policy of Mainland China, 104 (44.26%) came from single-child families. Data were analyzed by SPSS 20.0 (IBM, Armonk, New York), and path analysis was conducted by AMOS 20.0 (IBM, Armonk, New York).</p> <hd id="AN0099963816-6">Measurements</hd> <p></p> <hd id="AN0099963816-7">Life Stress Rating Scale for College Students (LSRS)</hd> <p>The LSRS is a 60-item Chinese scale for measuring self-appraisal on the severity of life stress in college students, and it includes a Major Events subscale and a Minor Events subscale. Sample items include "Failed the college entrance examination" (item 3; major events) and "Homesick, misses loved ones" (item 41; minor events). Participants were asked to rate the severity (from 0 = <emph>no influence</emph> to 4 <emph>very serious</emph>) and duration (from 1 = <emph>3 months</emph> to 3 = <emph>6 months or more</emph>) of each item. The 2 subscale scores corresponding to the perceived stress level related to major events (eg, severe injury, major change, fall in love) and minor events (eg, vacation, difficulty in learning, interpersonal disturbance) were obtained by multiplying the severity rating with the duration rating. The potential score of each item ranged from 0 to 12. Higher scores reflect higher perceived life stress. The mean scores of the 2 subscales are respectively adopted to reflect the different levels of perceived stress. Cronbach's reliability α (.86 to.92), test–retest reliability (.79 to.90), and criterion validity (.51 to.70) were satisfactory according to the original developer.[<reflink idref="bib32" id="ref29">32</reflink>] In the current sample, Cronbach's α of major events is.88 and that of minor events is.93.</p> <hd id="AN0099963816-8">Chinese Virtues Questionnaire (CVQ)</hd> <p>The CVQ is a Chinese scale for assessing 3 virtues, namely, relationship (32 items), vitality (40 items), and conscientiousness (24 items).[[<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref30">26</reflink>]] Sample items include "I am a person who is full of gratitude" (relationship), "I am a true life-long learner" (vitality), and "I will control my emotions" (conscientiousness). The respondents were asked to rate the extent to which each item could describe them on a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (<emph>very much unlike me</emph>) to 5 (<emph>very much like me</emph>). The mean scores of the 3 virtues were obtained by adding up the items of each subscale and dividing the sum by the number of items. A higher score reflects a higher degree of virtue within an individual. The psychometric characteristics of CVQ were well established in previous studies,[<reflink idref="bib27" id="ref31">27</reflink>] including reliability, factor structure, construct validity, and temporal stability. The current coefficients of internal reliability of the total questionnaire (α =.96), relationship subscale (α =.93), vitality virtue subscale (α =.92), and conscientiousness virtue subscale (α =.90) were good.</p> <hd id="AN0099963816-9">Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90)</hd> <p>SCL-90 is a 90-item self-report scale for assessing psychological symptoms (ie, depression, hostility, anxiety, phobic-anxiety, obsessive-compulsiveness, interpersonal sensitivity, somatization, paranoid ideation, and psychoticism).[<reflink idref="bib33" id="ref32">33</reflink>] The 9-factor structure has been validated in nonclinical Chinese samples.[<reflink idref="bib34" id="ref33">34</reflink>] Subjects were asked to rate on a 5-point Likert scale the extent to which they experienced symptoms during the past 7 days, ranging from 1 (<emph>absolutely not</emph>) to 5 (<emph>very much</emph>). The total SCL-90 score (Global Severity Index, GSI) was calculated by taking the sum of all of the corresponding items. A higher total score reflects the severity of general psychological symptoms. The GSI is used in the present study to reflect the general psychological symptoms of participants. In this sample, the Cronbach's coefficient of the SCL-90 GSI score was.97.</p> <hd id="AN0099963816-10">RESULTS</hd> <p></p> <hd id="AN0099963816-11">Descriptive Statistics and Differences Analysis</hd> <p>The mean scores and standard deviations of 3 virtues, different perceived stress, and Global Severity Index are reported in Table 1. Analyses of variance (ANOVAs) showed no significant differences for these variables by gender, family type (single-child family vs non–single-child family), and location (urban vs rural areas). The paired-sample <emph>t</emph> test indicated that, for the same individual, the mean perceived stress level of minor events (.86) was significantly higher than major events (.64), <emph>t</emph> = 5.58, <emph>p</emph> <.001.</p> <p>TABLE 1. Descriptive Statistics and Differences Analysis of Virtues, Perceived Stress, and Psychological Symptoms (N = 235)</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><thead><tr><td /><td> </td><td /><td>Group difference (<italic>F</italic> values)</td></tr><tr><td>Measure</td><td><italic>M</italic></td><td><italic>SD</italic></td><td>Gender</td><td>Family type</td><td>Location</td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Relationship</td><td char=".">4.05</td><td char=".">.43</td><td char=".">1.37</td><td char=".">0.14</td><td char=".">2.23</td></tr><tr><td>Vitality</td><td char=".">2.99</td><td char=".">.45</td><td char=".">4.49</td><td char=".">10.46</td><td char=".">9.60</td></tr><tr><td>Conscientiousness</td><td char=".">3.51</td><td char=".">.52</td><td char=".">3.61</td><td char=".">3.26</td><td char=".">1.73</td></tr><tr><td>Perceived stress from major events</td><td char=".">0.64</td><td char=".">.72</td><td char=".">0.60</td><td char=".">0.29</td><td char=".">0.08</td></tr><tr><td>Perceived stress from minor events</td><td char=".">0.86</td><td char=".">.74</td><td char=".">0.22</td><td char=".">2.25</td><td char=".">0.98</td></tr><tr><td>Global Severity Index</td><td char=".">1.55</td><td char=".">.42</td><td char=".">0.69</td><td char=".">1.56</td><td char=".">5.47</td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <hd id="AN0099963816-12">Correlations and Regression</hd> <p>Correlations among virtues, perceived life stress, and psychological symptoms are shown in Table 2. The 3 virtues were negatively and significantly related to GSI (<emph>r</emph> = −.37 to −.41) and perceived stress from minor events (<emph>r</emph> = −.16 to −.26). Only vitality had a negative correlation with perceived stress from major events. Both the perceived stress from major events and that from minor events were positively related to GSI (<emph>r</emph> =.40 to.60).</p> <p>TABLE 2. Correlations Analysis of Virtues, Perceived Stress, and Psychological Symptoms (N = 235)</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><thead><tr><td>Measure</td><td>1</td><td>2</td><td>3</td><td>4</td><td>5</td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1. Relationship</td><td>—</td><td /><td /><td /><td /></tr><tr><td>2. Vitality</td><td char=".">.64<sup>**</sup></td><td>—</td><td /><td /><td /></tr><tr><td>3. Conscientiousness</td><td char=".">.71<sup>**</sup></td><td char=".">.71<sup>**</sup></td><td>—</td><td /><td /></tr><tr><td>4. Perceived stress from major events</td><td char=".">−.10</td><td char=".">−.14*</td><td char=".">−.09</td><td>—</td><td /></tr><tr><td>5. Perceived stress from minor events</td><td char=".">−.16*</td><td char=".">−.26<sup>**</sup></td><td char=".">−.24<sup>**</sup></td><td char=".">.66<sup>**</sup></td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>6. Global Severity Index</td><td char=".">−.37<sup>**</sup></td><td char=".">−.37<sup>**</sup></td><td char=".">−.41<sup>**</sup></td><td char=".">.40<sup>**</sup></td><td char=".">.60<sup>**</sup></td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>20001 <sups>**</sups><emph>p</emph> <.01; *<emph>p</emph> <.05.</p> <p>Multiple regression analyses were performed independently to examine the relative effect of the 3 virtues on perceived stress and psychological symptoms (Table 3), with perceived major events, perceived minor stress, and GSI as the dependent variables in each regression equation. The 3 virtues were set as predictors. Our results indicated that vitality significantly predicted perceived minor events stress, whereas conscientiousness significantly predicted GSI. Other data were not statistically significant. Based on these findings, relationship and perceived stress from major events were excluded in the following analysis.</p> <p>TABLE 3. Regression Analysis on Perceived Life Stress and Psychological Symptoms (N = 235)</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><thead><tr><td /><td>Independent variable (standard β)</td></tr><tr><td>Dependent variable</td><td>Relationship</td><td>Vitality</td><td>Conscientiousness</td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Perceived stress from major events</td><td char=".">−.04</td><td char=".">−.14</td><td char=".">.04</td></tr><tr><td>Perceived stress from minor events</td><td char=".">.08</td><td char=".">−.21*</td><td char=".">−.15</td></tr><tr><td>Global Severity Index</td><td char=".">−.12</td><td char=".">−.12</td><td char=".">−.24*</td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>30001 *<emph>p</emph> <.05.</p> <hd id="AN0099963816-13">Test of Moderation Model</hd> <p>Hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to examine whether perceived stress could moderate the relationship between virtues and psychological symptoms. Vitality, conscientiousness, perceived stress from minor events, and GSI were initially centralized.</p> <p>According to the test principle of moderation,[<reflink idref="bib35" id="ref34">35</reflink>] 2 new interaction variables (Vitality × Perceived Minor Events Stress; Conscientiousness × Perceived Stress From Minor Events) were developed prior to the analysis. GSI was set as a dependent variable. Demographic variables, including gender, age, family type, and locations, were entered in Step 1, perceived stress from minor events was entered in Step 2, the 2 virtues scores were entered in Step 3, and finally the 2 interaction terms were entered in Step 4. The final regression equation results are shown in Table 4. The main effects of both perceived stress level and virtues were significant (refer to Table 4, Steps 2 and 3), whereas the interaction effect was not significant in Step 4 (Δ<emph>F</emph> = 2.644; refer to Table 4). Perceived stress explained 35.00% of variance of GSI, and the 2 virtues together contributed another 6.00%. The interaction term was not significant; the moderator model was not supported in the sample.</p> <p>TABLE 4. Main Indicators of Hierarchical Regression Analysis for Moderator Model (N = 235)</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><thead><tr><td>Indicator</td><td>β</td><td><italic>t</italic></td><td><italic>R</italic><sup>2</sup></td><td>Adjusted <italic>R</italic><sup>2</sup></td><td>Δ<italic>R</italic><sup>2</sup></td><td>Δ<italic>F</italic></td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Step 1</td><td /><td /><td char=".">.03</td><td char=".">.01</td><td char=".">—</td><td char=".">1.52</td></tr><tr><td> Gender</td><td char=".">−.04</td><td char=".">−0.66</td><td /><td /><td /><td /></tr><tr><td> Age</td><td char=".">−.03</td><td char=".">−0.48</td><td /><td /><td /><td /></tr><tr><td> Family type</td><td char=".">.03</td><td char=".">0.42</td><td /><td /><td /><td /></tr><tr><td> Location</td><td char=".">.14</td><td char=".">1.89</td><td /><td /><td /><td /></tr><tr><td>Step 2</td><td /><td /><td char=".">.38</td><td char=".">.36</td><td char=".">.35</td><td char=".">129.35<sup>***</sup></td></tr><tr><td> Perceived stress from minor events</td><td char=".">.52</td><td char=".">9.80<sup>***</sup></td><td /><td /><td /><td /></tr><tr><td>Step 3</td><td /><td /><td char=".">.45</td><td char=".">.43</td><td char=".">.07</td><td char=".">15.17<sup>***</sup></td></tr><tr><td> Vitality</td><td char=".">−.02</td><td char=".">−0.25</td><td /><td /><td /><td /></tr><tr><td> Conscientiousness</td><td char=".">−.28</td><td char=".">−3.89<sup>***</sup></td><td /><td /><td /><td /></tr><tr><td>Step 4</td><td /><td /><td char=".">.46</td><td char=".">.44</td><td char=".">.01</td><td char=".">2.28</td></tr><tr><td> Vitality × Perceived Stress From Minor Events</td><td char=".">−.13</td><td char=".">−2.01</td><td /><td /><td /><td /></tr><tr><td> Conscientiousness × Perceived Stress From Minor Events</td><td char=".">.12</td><td char=".">1.81</td><td /><td /><td /><td /></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>40001 <sups>***</sups><emph>p</emph> <.001.</p> <hd id="AN0099963816-14">Test of Mediation Model</hd> <p>Structural equation model (SEM) was adopted to examine the mediation model. Insignificant paths were gradually removed, and finally a nearly saturated path analysis model was obtained (see Figure 1). All of the path coefficients were significant. Excellent goodness-of-fit was obtained: <emph>df</emph> = 2, χ[<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref35">2</reflink>] = 1.93 (<emph>p</emph> =.38), normed fit index (NFI) =.99, comparative fit index (CFI) = 1.00, relative fit index (RFI) =.98, incremental fit index (IFI) = 1.00, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) =.00.[<reflink idref="bib36" id="ref36">36</reflink>] The indicators implied that the data fit the model very well.[[<reflink idref="bib37" id="ref37">37</reflink>]] The standardized indirect effect of vitality on GSI was −.14. Sobel value was calculated for testing the standard error of the indirect effect,[<reflink idref="bib40" id="ref38">40</reflink>] which indicated a significant mediation effect of vitality virtue (<emph>z</emph> = −3.83, <emph>p</emph> <.001). The results supported the notion that vitality was a mediator on the relationship between perceived stress from minor events and psychological symptoms in the sample (see Figure 1).</p> <p>Graph: FIGURE 1. Virtues–Perceived Stress–Psychological Symptoms mediation model. Values presented are standardized regression coefficients.</p> <hd id="AN0099963816-15">COMMENT</hd> <p>Peterson and Seligman proposed a 2-tier model of positive psychological resources consisting of 24 strengths (first tier) to be clustered into 6 virtues (second tier).[<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref39">9</reflink>] Current studies have a strong bias on strengths rather than virtues.[[<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref40">11</reflink>]] The present study aims to examine the role of virtues and perceived life stress in affecting psychological symptoms among Chinese college students. As expected, minor life events were more prominent than major ones among college students, and previous studies demonstrated that stress from minor life events among the ordinary were significantly more important in affecting distress compared with the major events.[[<reflink idref="bib41" id="ref41">41</reflink>]] Our findings also suggested that the 3 virtues play a different function in the stress-outcome equation.</p> <p>First, perceived stress from minor events mediates the relationship between vitality and psychological symptoms. This finding can be called the "Vitality–Perceived Stress–Psychological Symptoms" mediation model, a mechanism in line with the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping.[<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref42">28</reflink>] Personal cognitive appraisal of resources and stressors affects coping and psychological outcomes. Individuals with a higher level of vitality perceive less stress from minor life events, which in turn causes fewer psychological symptoms. Ryan and Frederick defined vitality as the state of consciously experiencing energy and aliveness, and this state is correlated with both psychological and somatic factors for affecting psychological well-being, physical symptoms, and perceived body functioning.[<reflink idref="bib43" id="ref43">43</reflink>] The present study uses a different definition, that is, vitality denotes a cluster of positive traits or psychological resources. Nevertheless, both studies highlight the positive role of vitality in personal well-being and health. More evidence-based studies should further explore the mechanism and function of vitality; nevertheless, we suggest the development of a systematic intervention to increase vitality and thus promote positive mental health. Linkins et al proposed a 5-component framework of strengths education for enhancing the psychological resources of students in the education context, including developing a strengths language and lens; recognizing and thinking about strengths in others; recognizing and thinking about one's own strengths; practicing and applying strengths; and identifying, celebrating, and cultivating group (classroom, school, etc) strengths.[<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref44">12</reflink>] The framework can be adopted to develop systematic strategies for enhancing vitality in universities.</p> <p>Conscientiousness directly affected psychological symptoms. Zhang et al reported that adolescents with a high level of conscientiousness, regardless of their perceived social support, exhibit less symptoms of pathological Internet use.[<reflink idref="bib44" id="ref45">44</reflink>] A meta-analysis including 194 studies performed by Bogg and Roberts[<reflink idref="bib45" id="ref46">45</reflink>] argued that conscientiousness-related traits were negatively related to risky health-related behaviors. In traditional Chinese culture, sages believed that "cultivating individual moral character, running the family in unison, [and] managing the nation, in [that] order, will lead to peace prevailing throughout the universe." They emphasized the self-cultivation of intrapersonal strengths to resolve their inner conflicts, regardless of the external stressors. This behavior may partly explain why conscientiousness had no effect on perceived life stress. Studies demonstrated that participants with a high level of conscientiousness usually display order and industriousness, moderating the relationship between stress appraisal and positive affect.[<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref47">6</reflink>] Another explanation is provided by the aforementioned Personality–Event Congruence Hypothesis,[<reflink idref="bib29" id="ref48">29</reflink>] which suggests that different personalities are sensitive to different stressful life events. In the current sample, vitality is sensitive to minor life events, whereas conscientiousness and relationship are insensitive to minor life events. Whether the latter 2 virtues are sensitive to other life events (eg, diagnosis of cancer, bereavement, and earthquakes) should be explored in the future. Our ongoing study suggests that only the virtue of relationship and conscientiousness plays a positive role in the context of trauma.</p> <p>Other studies indicated that relationship is negatively and significantly related to psychological symptoms (refer to Table 2). People who have positive cognitions, emotions, and behaviors of interacting with other people, as well as those who tend to exhibit kindness and teamwork, exhibit less psychological symptoms. We anticipate that people who are high in relationship would have more social support, and social support can act as a buffer against distress. Uchino et al[<reflink idref="bib46" id="ref49">46</reflink>] reviewed 81 studies and concluded that social support from families had important stress-buffering effects. Nevertheless, relationship is less important in affecting stress outcomes compared with the other 2 virtues (refer to Table 3). This result might suggest the dual effects of social support.[<reflink idref="bib47" id="ref50">47</reflink>] If an individual is high on relationship, he/she might obtain more social support; in contrast, he/she might be more anxious about the well-being of other people, neutralizing the positive effect of social support. Future research should further examine this phenomenon before a conclusion can be drawn.</p> <hd id="AN0099963816-16">Limitations</hd> <p>This study has several limitations. First, although it is the first study to explore the relationship among virtues, perceived life stress, and psychological symptoms, very limited health-related variables were included. Future studies should adopt different measurements to further clarify the mechanisms by which the virtues work. For instance, why do students with a high level of vitality perceive less stress in daily life? A more recent intervention study reported that individuals with a high level of vitality are better at self-disclosure to release pressure and increase life satisfaction.[<reflink idref="bib48" id="ref51">48</reflink>] Second, at least 3 possible mechanisms of protective psychological resources function from the perspective of the initiation and development stages of psychological problems, namely, preprevention mechanism (ie, reducing the likelihood of experiencing psychological discomfort from stressful events), middle coordinating mechanism (ie, reasonable understanding of stressful events and the effective use of internal and external resources to alleviate psychological problems), and postoffset mechanism (ie, facilitating the recovery of mental health, even more than the original level). Thus, longitudinal studies need to examine the different functions of virtues in different stages. Third, the results cannot be generalized to other samples, such as cancer patients, individuals with chronic illness or those with life-threatening illness, and ordinary community populations.</p> <hd id="AN0099963816-17">Conclusions</hd> <p>A previous intervention study operated in the Chinese university context demonstrated that daily strengths using substantially promote the life satisfaction of undergraduates,[<reflink idref="bib49" id="ref52">49</reflink>] which is an activity that requires participants to use their personal strengths (eg, curiosity, hope, and judgment) in daily university life; however, it failed to identify the psychological strengths that should be cultivated among undergraduates. The current study reveals that the perceived stress from minor events among college students mediates the relationship between vitality and psychological symptoms, whereas conscientiousness directly affects the psychological symptoms. In practice, mental health professionals in college campuses can accordingly further improve existing intervention programs (eg, daily strengths using program) and focus on cultivating the individual virtues of vitality and conscientiousness via a series of campus-based activities for enhancing well-being, as well as reducing distress among students. Finally, it is worth noting that although the present study is conducted among Chinese students in Mainland China, the implication can be generalized to non-Eastern countries, because according to Peterson and Seligman,[<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref53">9</reflink>] these strengths and virtues are cross-cultural, universal, and shared by human beings.</p> <hd id="AN0099963816-18">ACKNOWLEDGMENTS</hd> <p>We thank the editor and anonymous reviewers for their useful comments and suggestions.</p> <hd id="AN0099963816-19">FUNDING</hd> <p>No funding was used to support this research and/or the preparation of the manuscript.</p> <hd id="AN0099963816-20">CONFLICT OF INTEREST DISCLOSURE</hd> <p>The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of China and received approval from the School of Culture and Social Development Studies, Southwest University.</p> <hd id="AN0099963816-21">NOTE</hd> <p>For comments and further information, address correspondence to Wenjie Duan, PhD, Department of Applied Social Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR, China (e-mail: wjtuanss@cityu.edu.hk).</p> <ref id="AN0099963816-22"> <title> REFERENCES </title> <blist> <bibl id="bib1" idref="ref1" type="bt">1</bibl> <bibtext> Lovallo WR. Do low levels of stress reactivity signal poor states of health? Biol Psychol. 2011;86:121–128.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib2" idref="ref35" type="bt">2</bibl> <bibtext> Smith BN, Vaughn RA, Vogt D, King DW, King LA, Shipherd JC. Main and interactive effects of social support in predicting mental health symptoms in men and women following military stressor exposure. Anxiety Stress Coping. 2013;26:52–69.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib3" type="bt">3</bibl> <bibtext> El Ansari W, Oskrochi R, Stock C. Symptoms and health complaints and their association with perceived stress: students from seven universities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. J Public Health. 2013;21:413–425.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib4" idref="ref2" type="bt">4</bibl> <bibtext> Segerstrom SC, O'Connor DB. Stress, health and illness: four challenges for the future. Psychol Health. 2012;27:128–140.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib5" idref="ref3" type="bt">5</bibl> <bibtext> Korotkov D. Does personality moderate the relationship between stress and health behavior? Expanding the nomological network of the five-factor model. J Res Pers. 2008;42:1418–1426.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib6" idref="ref47" type="bt">6</bibl> <bibtext> Gartland N, O'Connor DB, Lawton R, Ferguson E. Investigating the effects of conscientiousness on daily stress, affect and physical symptom processes: a daily diary study. Br J Health Psychol. 2014;19:311–328.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib7" idref="ref4" type="bt">7</bibl> <bibtext> Murphy ML, Miller GE, Wrosch C. Conscientiousness and stress exposure and reactivity: a prospective study of adolescent females. J Behav Med. 2013;36:153–164.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib8" idref="ref5" type="bt">8</bibl> <bibtext> Kondratyuk N, Morosanova V. The relationship between self-regulation, personality traits and job stress. Pers Individ Dif. 2014;60:S75.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib9" idref="ref7" type="bt">9</bibl> <bibtext> Peterson C, Seligman MEP. Character Strengths and Virtues: A Handbook and Classification. New York, NY: Oxford University Press; 2004.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Dahlsgaard K, Peterson C, Seligman MEP. Shared virtue: the convergence of valued human strengths across culture and history. Rev Gen Psychol. 2005;9:203–213.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Niemiec RM. VIA character strengths: research and practice (the first 10 years). In: Knoop HH, Fave AD, eds. Well-Being and Cultures: Perspectives From Positive Psychology. New York, NY: Springer Science + Business Media; 2013:11–29.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Linkins M, Niemiec RM, Gillham J, Mayerson D. Through the lens of strength: a framework for educating the heart [published online ahead of print February 21, 2014]. J Posit Psychol. doi:10.1080/17439760.2014.888581.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Gillham J, Adams-Deutsch Z, Werner J, et al. Character strengths predict subjective well-being during adolescence. J Posit Psychol. 2011;6:31–44.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Vertilo V, Gibson JM. Influence of character strengths on mental health stigma. J Posit Psychol. 2014;9:266–275.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Gander F, Proyer RT, Ruch W, Wyss T. The good character at work: an initial study on the contribution of character strengths in identifying healthy and unhealthy work-related behavior and experience patterns. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2012;85:895–904.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Avey JB, Luthans F, Hannah ST, Sweetman D, Peterson C. Impact of employees' character strengths of wisdom on stress and creative performance. Hum Resour Manage J. 2012;22:165–181.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Duan W, Bai Y, Tang X, Siu PY, Chan RKH, Ho SMY. Virtues and positive mental health. Hong Kong J Ment Health. 2012;38:24–31.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Kristjánsson K. Positive psychology, happiness, and virtue: the troublesome conceptual issues. Rev Gen Psychol. 2010;14:296–310.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Kristjánsson K. Aristotle, Emotions and Education. Aldershot, UK: Ashgate Publishing; 2007.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Duan W, Bai Y, Zhang Y, Tang X, Wang Z, Li T. Values in Action Inventory of Strengths in college students: reliability and validity. Chin J Clin Psychol. 2011;19:473–475.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Kubokawa A, Ottaway A. Positive psychology and cultural sensitivity: a review of the literature. Grad J Couns Psychol. 2009;1:130–138.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Ruch W, Proyer RT, Seligman MEP, Peterson C, Park N, Harzer C. Values in Action Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS): adaptation and validation of the German version and the development of a peer-rating form. J Individ Dif. 2010;31:138–149.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Khumalo IP, Wissing MP, Temane QM. Exploring the validity of the Values-In-Action Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS) in an African context. J Psychol Afr. 2008;18:133–142.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Ho SMY, Rochelle TLR, Law LSC, et al. Methodological issues in positive psychology research with diverse populations: exploring strengths among Chinese adults. In: Pedrotti JT, Edwards LM, eds. Perspectives on the Intersection of Multiculturalism & Positive Psychology. New York, NY: Springer Science + Business Media; 2014:45–57.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Ho SMY, Duan W, Tang SCM. The psychology of virtue and happiness in Western and Asian thought. In: Snow NE, Trivigno FV, eds. The Philosophy and Psychology of Character and Happiness. New York: Routledge; 2014:215–238.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Duan W, Ho SMY, Bai Y, et al. Factor structure of the Chinese Virtues Questionnaire. Res Soc Work Pract. 2012;22:680–688.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Duan W, Ho SMY, Bai Y, Tang X. Psychometric evaluation of the Chinese Virtues Questionnaire. Res Soc Work Pract. 2013;23:336–345.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Lazarus RS, Folkman S. Stress, Appraisal, and Coping. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company; 1984.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Iacoviello BM, Grant DA, Alloy LB, Abramson LY. Cognitive personality characteristics impact the course of depression: a prospective test of sociotropy, autonomy and domain-specific life events. Cogn Ther Res. 2009;33:187–198.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Cohen JR, Hankin BL, Gibb BE, et al. Negative attachment cognitions and emotional distress in Mainland Chinese adolescents: a prospective multiwave test of vulnerability-stress and stress generation models. J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol. 2013;42:531–544.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Eberhart NK, Hammen CL. Interpersonal style, stress, and depression: an examination of transactional and diathesis-stress models. J Soc Clin Psychol. 2010;29:23–38.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Xu M. The Development of Life Stress Rating Scale for College Students and Correlation Analysis. Shanghai, China: College of Education Science, Shanghai Normal University; 2004.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Derogatis LR, Lipman RS, Covi L. SCL-90: an outpatient psychiatric rating scale—preliminary report. Psychopharmacol Bull. 1973;9:13–28.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Jin H, Wu WY, Zhang MY. The Preliminary analysis of the assessing results of SCL-90 among normal Chinese. Chin J Nerv Ment Dis. 1986;12:260–263.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Frazier PA, Tix AP, Barron KE. Testing moderator and mediator effects in counseling psychology research. J Couns Psychol. 2004;51:115–134.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Hu L-t, Bentler PM. Fit indices in covariance structure modeling: sensitivity to underparameterized model misspecification. Psychol Methods. 1998;3:424–453.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Brown TA, Chorpita BF, Barlow DH. Structural relationships among dimensions of the DSM-IV anxiety and mood disorders and dimensions of negative affect, positive affect, and autonomic arousal. J Abnorm Psychol. 1998;107:179–192.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Chen SX, Chan W, Bond MH, Stewart SM. The effects of self-efficacy and relationship harmony on depression across cultures applying level-oriented and structure-oriented analyses. J Cross Cult Psychol. 2006;37:643–658.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Frone MR. Interpersonal conflict at work and psychological outcomes: testing a model among young workers. J Occup Health Psychol. 2000;5:246–255.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Sobel ME. Asymptotic confidence intervals for indirect effects in structural equation models. In: Leinhart S, ed. Sociological Methodology. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass; 1982:290–312.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Almeida DM. Resilience and vulnerability to daily stressors assessed via diary methods. Curr Dir Psychol Sci. 2005;14:64–68.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> McIntyre KP, Korn JH, Matsuo H. Sweating the small stuff: how different types of hassles result in the experience of stress. Stress Health. 2008;24:383–392.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Ryan RM, Frederick C. On energy, personality, and health: subjective vitality as a dynamic reflection of well-being. J Pers. 1997;65:529–565.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Zhang Y, Yang Z, Duan W, et al. A preliminary investigation on the relationship between virtues and pathological internet use among Chinese adolescents. Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health. 2014;8:Article 8.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Bogg T, Roberts BW. Conscientiousness and health-related behaviors: a meta-analysis of the leading behavioral contributors to mortality. Psychol Bull. 2004;130:887–919.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Uchino BN, Cacioppo JT, Kiecolt-Glaser JK. The relationship between social support and physiological processes: a review with emphasis on underlying mechanisms and implications for health. Psychol Bull. 1996;119:488–531.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Gleason ME, Iida M, Shrout PE, Bolger N. Receiving support as a mixed blessing: evidence for dual effects of support on psychological outcomes. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2008;94:824–838.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Zhang Y, Duan W, Tang X, Yang Z. Can virtues enhance the benefits of expressive writing among healthy Chinese? A pilot study. J Ment Health. 2014;23:231–235.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Duan W, Ho SMY, Tang X, Li T, Zhang Y. Character strength-based intervention to promote satisfaction with life in the Chinese university context [published online ahead of print September 25, 2014]. J Happiness Stud. doi: 10.1007/s10902-013-9479-y.</bibtext> </blist> </ref> <aug> <p>By Wenjie Duan; Samuel M. Y. Ho; Bowie P. Y. Siu; Tingting Li and Yonghong Zhang</p> <p>Reported by Author; Author; Author; Author; Author</p> </aug> <nolink nlid="nl1" bibid="bib11" firstref="ref10"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl2" bibid="bib16" firstref="ref12"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl3" bibid="bib17" firstref="ref13"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl4" bibid="bib18" firstref="ref14"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl5" bibid="bib19" firstref="ref16"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl6" bibid="bib20" firstref="ref18"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl7" bibid="bib24" firstref="ref19"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl8" bibid="bib25" firstref="ref20"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl9" bibid="bib26" firstref="ref21"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl10" bibid="bib27" firstref="ref22"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl11" bibid="bib28" firstref="ref23"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl12" bibid="bib29" firstref="ref24"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl13" bibid="bib30" firstref="ref28"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl14" bibid="bib32" firstref="ref29"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl15" bibid="bib33" firstref="ref32"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl16" bibid="bib34" firstref="ref33"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl17" bibid="bib35" firstref="ref34"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl18" bibid="bib36" firstref="ref36"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl19" bibid="bib37" firstref="ref37"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl20" bibid="bib40" firstref="ref38"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl21" bibid="bib41" firstref="ref41"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl22" bibid="bib43" firstref="ref43"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl23" bibid="bib12" firstref="ref44"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl24" bibid="bib44" firstref="ref45"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl25" bibid="bib45" firstref="ref46"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl26" bibid="bib46" firstref="ref49"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl27" bibid="bib47" firstref="ref50"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl28" bibid="bib48" firstref="ref51"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl29" bibid="bib49" firstref="ref52"></nolink>
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: EJ1047926
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Role of Virtues and Perceived Life Stress in Affecting Psychological Symptoms among Chinese College Students
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Duan%2C+Wenjie%22">Duan, Wenjie</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ho%2C+Samuel+M%2E+Y%2E%22">Ho, Samuel M. Y.</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Siu%2C+Bowie+P%2E+Y%2E%22">Siu, Bowie P. Y.</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Li%2C+Tingting%22">Li, Tingting</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Zhang%2C+Yonghong%22">Zhang, Yonghong</searchLink>
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Journal+of+American+College+Health%22"><i>Journal of American College Health</i></searchLink>. 2015 63(1):32-39.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 8
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2015
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Asians%22">Asians</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Symptoms+%28Individual+Disorders%29%22">Symptoms (Individual Disorders)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Role%22">Role</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Stress+Variables%22">Stress Variables</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22College+Students%22">College Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mental+Health%22">Mental Health</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mental+Disorders%22">Mental Disorders</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Undergraduate+Students%22">Undergraduate Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Rating+Scales%22">Rating Scales</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Correlation%22">Correlation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Questionnaires%22">Questionnaires</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Personality+Traits%22">Personality Traits</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Health+Personnel%22">Health Personnel</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Likert+Scales%22">Likert Scales</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Multiple+Regression+Analysis%22">Multiple Regression Analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Structural+Equation+Models%22">Structural Equation Models</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22China%22">China</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1080/07448481.2014.963109
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 0744-8481
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Objective: This study explored the relationship among virtues, self-perceived life stress, and psychological symptoms. Participants: A total of 235 undergraduates participated in the study in March 2013. Methods: The participants were recruited to complete the Life Stress Rating Scale for College Students, the Chinese Virtues Questionnaire that measures 3 virtues (relationship, vitality, and conscientiousness), and the Symptom Checklist-90. Results: Regression analyses indicated that the perceived stress from minor events explained approximately 35.00% of the variance of psychological symptoms. Both vitality and conscientiousness contributed to another 6.00% of psychological symptoms. Perceived stress from minor events mediated the relationship between vitality and psychological symptoms, whereas conscientiousness directly affected psychological symptoms regardless of the perceived stress level. Conclusion: This study clarified the positive role of virtues in stressful situations among Chinese undergraduates. The results benefit the college health professionals in attending strengths of their clients in practice both in Eastern and Western countries.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: Ref
  Label: Number of References
  Group: RefInfo
  Data: 49
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2014
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1047926
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1047926
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1080/07448481.2014.963109
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 8
        StartPage: 32
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Asians
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Symptoms (Individual Disorders)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Role
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Stress Variables
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: College Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Mental Health
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Mental Disorders
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Undergraduate Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Rating Scales
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Correlation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Questionnaires
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Personality Traits
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Health Personnel
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Likert Scales
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Multiple Regression Analysis
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Structural Equation Models
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: China
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Role of Virtues and Perceived Life Stress in Affecting Psychological Symptoms among Chinese College Students
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Duan, Wenjie
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Ho, Samuel M. Y.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Siu, Bowie P. Y.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Li, Tingting
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Zhang, Yonghong
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 01
              Type: published
              Y: 2015
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 0744-8481
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 63
            – Type: issue
              Value: 1
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Journal of American College Health
              Type: main
ResultId 1