The Impact of Adolescents’ Character Strengths on Quality of Life in Stressful Situations During COVID-19 in China: A Moderated Mediation Approach

ABSTRACT

Purpose

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between adolescents’ character strengths and quality of life during the COVID-19 lockdown and to further explore the role of strengths use and perceived threats.

Method

A total of 804 adolescents from Wuhan, China were recruited to complete an online survey. The data collection was conducted between April and May 2020, during the lockdown of Wuhan due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in the suspension of school attendance for adolescents and the transition to online teaching. Mini Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire (Mini-Q-LES-Q) was used to measure adolescents’ quality of life, while their character strengths, strengths use, and perceived threats were measured using the Three-Dimensional Inventory of Character Strengths (TICS), the Chinese version Strengths Use Scale (SUS) and Perceived threats of COVID-19 questionnaire.

Results

The results of the study indicated that adolescents’ character strengths could positively affect their quality of life, and strengths use played a partially mediating role, while the moderating effect of perceived threats was not significant.

Discussion and Conclusions

In the face of persistent pandemic effects or other similar stressful events in the future, the development of adolescents’ character strengths and strengths use can effectively improve adolescents’ quality of life, which provides a theoretical reference for future social work intervention.

KEYWORDS:

• Adolescents
• quality of life
• strengths
• COVID-19

Disclosure statement

There are no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Ethical Approval

Ethical approval was obtained from the Human Subjects Ethics Sub-Committee of East China University of Science and Technology.

Informed Consent

Informed consent was obtained from the participants by showing them an informed consent form and only by clicking the “AGREE” button can they start to answer the questionnaire.

Data availability statement

Please contact the corresponding author for the data of this article on reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

This research is sponsored by the Policy Research on Promoting Sustainable Development of Rural Youth in Ethnic Minority Areas through Education in the Context of the Strategy of Rural Vitalization (2022B39), 2022 China Youth and Children Research Association Research Projects and the Strengths-Based Interventions in Multiple Contexts, East China University of Science and Technology Supporting Funds for Scientific Research.