Associations Between Academic Stress and Depressive Symptoms Mediated by Anxiety Symptoms and Hopelessness Among Chinese College Students

Figures & data

Table 1 Socio-Demographic and Clinical Characteristics of the Sample

Variables	Number	Percent (%)
Gender (n = 1157)
Male	460	39.8
Female	697	60.2
Major (n = 1151)
Humanities	422	36.7
Natural science	729	63.3
Ethnic (n = 1151)
Han	1058	91.9
Others	93	8.1
Being the only child (n = 1155)
Yes	375	32.5
No	780	67.5
Interpersonal difficulties (n = 1153)
Yes	799	69.3
No	354	30.7
Family history of mental illness (n = 1155)
Yes	88	7.6
No	1067	92.4
Mother’s education (n = 1131)
Primary school	285	25.2
Middle school	466	41.2
High school	198	17.5
College	182	16.1
Father’s education (n = 1133)
Primary school	178	15.7
Middle school	462	40.8
High school	263	23.2
College	230	20.3
Household income (n = 1154)
Low	44	3.8
Medium	548	47.5
High	562	48.7
Relationship with mother (n = 1149)
Poor	25	2.2
Medium	198	17.2
Good	926	80.6
Relationship with father (n = 1145)
Poor	53	4.6
Medium	364	31.8
Good	728	63.6

Table 2 Means, Standard Deviations, and Correlations Between Academic Stress, Anxiety Symptoms, Hopelessness, and Depressive Symptoms

Variables	Mean	Standard Deviation	1	2	3
1 Academic stress	87.66	15.623	–
2 Anxiety symptoms	3.10	3.176	0.260**	–
3 Hopelessness	5.02	2.853	0.287**	0.331**	–
4 Depressive symptoms	4.81	3.132	0.302**	0.537**	0.410**

Note: **P<0.01.

Table 3 Multiple Linear Regression Results for Testing the Mediating Role of Anxiety Symptoms and Hopelessness in the Relationship Between Academic Stress and Depressive Symptoms After Controlling for the Effect of Age and Gender

Predictor Variable	Outcome Variable	R	R^2	F	β	t
Equation 1
Age	Anxiety Symptoms	0.291	0.085	35.569	0.310	3.476**
Gender					0.313	1.685
Academic Stress					0.056	9.619**
Equation 2
Age	Hopelessness	0.400	0.160	54.930	0.014	0.183
Gender					−0.111	−0.694
Academic Stress					0.037	7.099**
Anxiety Symptoms					0.267	10.538**
Equation 3
Age	Depressive Symptoms	0.640	0.409	159.523	0.168	2.366*
Gender					0.066	0.449
Academic Stress					0.024	4.985**
Anxiety Symptoms					0.448	18.338**
Hopelessness					0.265	9.746**

Notes: *P<0.05, **P<0.01.

Abbreviations: R, multiple correlation coefficient; R², determinate coefficient; F, F-test; β, standardized coefficient; t, t-test.

Figure 1 The final chain mediating effect model of academic stress, anxiety symptoms, hopelessness, and depressive symptoms.

Note: **P<0.01.

Table 4 Results of Bias-Corrected Percentile Bootstrap Analysis of the Multiple Mediation Effects

	Effect	Boot SE	Boot LLCI	Boot ULCI	The Ratio of Indirect to Total Effect
Total indirect effect	0.039	0.004	0.031	0.046	62%
Indirect effect 1	0.025	0.003	0.019	0.031	40%
Indirect effect 2	0.010	0.002	0.006	0.013	16%
Indirect effect 3	0.004	0.001	0.003	0.006	6%
Direct effect	0.024	0.005	0.015	0.034	38%
Total effect	0.063	0.006	0.052	0.074	100%

Notes: Indirect effect 1 was academic stress → anxiety symptoms → depressive symptoms, Indirect effect 2 was academic stress → hopelessness → depressive symptoms, Indirect effect 3 was → academic stress → anxiety symptoms → hopelessness → depressive symptoms.

Abbreviations: Boot SE, estimated standard error through bias-corrected percentile bootstrap method; Boot LLCI, 95% confidence interval lower through bias-corrected percentile bootstrap method; Boot ULCI, 95% confidence interval upper through bias-corrected percentile bootstrap method.