Happy people are always similar: The evidence from brain morphological and functional inter-subject correlations.

A fundamental question in the study of happiness is whether there is neural evidence to support a well-known hypothesis that happy people are always similar while unfortunate people have their own misfortunes. To investigate this, we employed several happiness-related questionnaires to identify potential components of happiness, and further investigated and confirmed their associations with personality, mood, aggressive behaviors, and amygdala reactivity to fearful faces within a substantial sample size of college students (n = 570). Additionally, we examined the functional and morphological similarities and differences among happy individuals using the inter-subject representational similarity analysis (IS-RSA). IS-RSA emphasizes the geometric properties in a high-dimensional space constructed by brain or behavioral patterns and focuses on individual subjects. Our behavioral findings unveiled two factors of happiness: individual and social, both of which mediated the effect of personality traits on individual aggression. Subsequently, mood mediated the impact of happiness on aggressive behaviors across two subgroup splits. Functional imaging data revealed that individuals with higher levels of happiness exhibited reduced amygdala reactivity to fearful faces, as evidenced by a conventional face-matching task (n = 104). Moreover, IS-RSA demonstrated that these participants manifested similar neural activation patterns when processing fearful faces within the visual pathway, but not within the emotional network (e.g., amygdala). Morphological observations (n = 425) indicated that individuals with similar high happiness levels exhibited comparable gray matter volume patterns within several networks, including the default mode network, fronto-parietal network, visual network, and attention network. Collectively, these findings offer early neural evidence supporting the proposition that happy individuals may share common neural characteristics.

The longitudinal associations between PTSD symptoms, depressive symptoms, and academic burnout in adolescence and early adulthood in the postdisaster context.

The current study examined the longitudinal associations among posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, depressive symptoms, and academic burnout in a sample of survivors aged 12 to 20 years following the Wenchuan earthquake. The present study had a longitudinal design. A total of 788 participants (Mage = 15.03 years, SD = 1.64; 54.8 % female) completed measures of PTSD symptoms, depressive symptoms, and academic burnout at 12, 18, and 24 months after the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in China. The results showed that the only cross-lagged effects from PTSD to depressive symptoms, from academic burnout to depressive symptoms or from PTSD symptoms to academic burnout at the first interval and the second interval were significant. Furthermore, the longitudinal associations among PTSD symptoms, depressive symptoms, and academic burnout remained consistent between the different age groups but varied across genders. That is, in male adolescents, only the cross-lagged effects from PTSD symptoms to depressive symptoms and from PTSD symptoms to academic burnout at the first and second intervals were significant. In female adolescents, only the cross-lagged effects from academic burnout to depressive symptoms and from academic burnout to PTSD symptoms at the first and second intervals were significant. Finally, these findings highlight that academic burnout is a useful target for psychological service providers to alleviate PTSD and depressive symptoms in adolescents in a post-disaster context. In addition, PTSD symptoms may also negatively affect adolescents' performance at school.

Peer attachment and self-esteem mediate the relationship between family function and social anxiety in migrant children in China.

BACKGROUND: Social anxiety is a frequently reported symptom in children and adolescents. The literature suggests that family function is related to symptoms of social anxiety in children. However, relatively little is known about the potential mechanisms underlying the relationship between family function and social anxiety. Thus, the purpose of the present study is to examine the roles of peer attachment and self-esteem in the relationship between family function and social anxiety in a sample of migrant children in China. METHODS: A total of 437 participants (54.9% male; meanage = 10.87 years) were selected from two public schools of migrant children in two areas of Hangzhou and Jiaxing, the major labor-importing cities in China, in May 2016. All participants completed four questionnaires assessing family function, peer attachment, self-esteem, and social anxiety. RESULTS: The results showed that family function was bivariately and significantly related to symptoms of social anxiety. Additionally, self-esteem fully mediated the relationship between family function and social anxiety peer attachment. Moreover, the relationship between family function and social anxiety was fully mediated by peer attachment and self-esteem (in that order). CONCLUSIONS: Peer attachment and self-esteem serve as critical pathways linking family function and social anxiety. Thus, tailored interventions should consider the roles of peer attachment and self-esteem to alleviate symptoms of social anxiety in migrant children.

Associations Between Relative Deprivation and Life Satisfaction During the COVID-19 Lockdown: Results of Serial Mediation Analyses.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, life satisfaction among college students has become a key issue at universities and in society. The current study explores the effects of belief in a just world and resilience on the relationship between relative deprivation and life satisfaction. A total of 787 college students from universities in China completed online questionnaires. Results showed that relative deprivation was negatively correlated with life satisfaction. Belief in a just world and resilience separately mediated the relationship between relative deprivation and life satisfaction. Moreover, a serial mediating effect of belief in a just world and resilience was observed between relative deprivation and life satisfaction. These findings suggest that relative deprivation may impair individuals' beliefs in a just world. Moreover, less belief in a just world may lower resilience and consequently decrease life satisfaction. This study enriches the research field of relative deprivation theory in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, and provides a new interpretation and intervention perspective for improving college students' life satisfaction.

The relationship between big five personality and quality of life of people with disabilities: The mediating effect of social support.

Objective: The quality of life of people with disabilities is of great significance to social stability and development. Increasing the quality of life among the disabled has become a worldwide topic. This study aims to examine the relationship between the big five personality and quality of life and the mediating effects of social support indicators in people with disabilities. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study with 358 people with disabilities (193 women and 165 men). A questionnaire was utilized to measure big five personality, social support, and quality of life variables. Pearson's correlation analysis and structural equation modeling were used to examine the relation among big five personality, social support, and quality of life. Results: QOL was positively correlated with social support (r = 0.402, p < 0.001), extraversion (r = 0.324, p < 0.001), agreeableness (r = 0.474, p < 0.001), conscientiousness (r = 0.482, p < 0.001), and openness (r = 0.498, p < 0.001). QOL was negatively correlated with neuroticism (r = -0.186, p < 0.001). The mediating effect of social support on the relationship between neuroticism and the quality of life of people with disabilities was not significant. Social support significantly mediated the relationship between extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness, and quality of life. Overall, positive personality traits (extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness) in the Big Five Personality of people with disabilities could increase their quality of life by Perceiving social support. But social support could not significantly mediate the relationship between neuroticism and the quality of life of people with disabilities. Conclusion: These new findings suggest that combining individual factors (personality) and environmental factors (social support) can better improve the quality of life of people with disabilities.

The Differential Effects of Anger and Sadness on Intertemporal Choice: An ERP Study.

Previous research has taken a valence-based approach to examine the carryover effects of incidental emotions on intertemporal choices. However, recent studies have begun to explore the effects of specific emotions on intertemporal choices. In this study, we investigated how anger and sadness influenced intertemporal choices using event-related potentials (ERPs). Behavioral results showed that, compared with neutral prime, anger prime was associated with more preference for delayed rewards, whereas sad prime did not change individuals' choice preference. Specifically, anger prime yielded a shorter response time than sad prime for the difficult-to-select choices. ERP results found that, compared with neutral and sad primes, anger prime elicited larger P1 in the fronto-central and parietal areas, larger P2 in the fronto-central area, and larger P3 in the parietal area during the evaluation stage. These findings suggest that there are differential carryover effects of anger and sadness on intertemporal choice. This study provides enlightenment on the significance of understanding how incidental emotions affect individuals' intertemporal choices.

Negative affect and life satisfaction mediate the association between negative life events and suicidal ideation in college students.

The present research hypothesized that negative life events are related to suicide ideation through the chain mediation of negative affect and life satisfaction. A sample of 566 undergraduates completed questionnaires investigating suicidal ideation, negative life events, negative affect, and life satisfaction. The results indicated a significant chain mediation from negative life events to suicidal ideation through negative affect and life satisfaction. The present study showed that negative affect and life satisfaction are important mediators of the association between negative life events and suicidal ideation in undergraduates. Concerning suicide prevention among undergraduates, attention should be paid to negative affect and life satisfaction.

The role of hopelessness and gratitude in the association between brooding and Chinese college students' suicidal ideation: a moderated mediation model.

Based on the cognitive model of suicide and broaden-and-build theory of gratitude, this study constructed a moderated mediation model to examine whether hopelessness mediated the relationship between brooding and Chinese college students' suicidal ideation and whether this mediating process was moderated by gratitude, from the positive psychology perspective. A total of 1191 college students were investigated using four scales. The results were as follows: (1) Brooding significantly contributed to suicidal ideation; (2) Hopelessness played a mediating role in the relationship between brooding and suicidal ideation; and (3) Gratitude moderated the mediated path through hopelessness, such that this mediating effect was only significant in individuals with low gratitude. This study may shed light on how brooding influences Chinese college students' suicidal ideation theoretically and on their prevention practically.

Collective and personal self-esteem as mediators between perceived group discrimination and adjustment in Chinese migrant children.

Previous studies have shown that perceived discrimination is negatively correlated with children's psychological development. However, how perceived group discrimination (PGD) leads to negative adjustment is not known. For 692 Chinese rural-to-urban migrant children, we examined the relations between PGD and both behavioral and emotional adaptation (antisocial behavior and positive affect), as mediated by collective self-esteem (CSE) and personal self-esteem (PSE). Children (50.7% boys; Mage = 13.37 years) completed questionnaires on PGD, antisocial behavior, positive affect, CSE, and PSE. PGD was positively associated with antisocial behavior and negatively associated with positive affect according to structural equation modeling. CSE and PSE accounted for some of the PGD related to antisocial behavior and fully accounted for PGD effects on positive affect. These findings suggested that the combination of CSE and PSE is a potential mechanism that underlies PGD associated with both antisocial behavior and positive affect.

From depressive symptoms to suicide risk: Roles of sense of belongingness and acquired capability for suicide in patients with mental disorders.

In order to prevent suicides in patients with mental disorders, it was critical to recognize the risk factors and explore the mechanism. Based on depressive symptoms, which were common in patients with mental disorders in consolidation period in China, we constructed a moderated mediating model under the framework of Integrated Motivational-Volitional Model of suicidal behaviour, and examined the mechanism of how depressive symptoms, thwarted belongingness, and acquired capability for suicide influenced suicide risk. In this study, data were collected from 164 patients through four questionnaires, and analyzed with PROCESS macro for SPSS (Hayes, 2008). The result showed that in the predictive effects of depressive symptoms on suicide risk, thwarted belongingness was a partial mediating variable, while acquired capability for suicide played a moderating role in the partial mediating model. Specifically, the predictive effects of depressive symptoms and thwarted belongingness, both as motivation variables, on suicide risk both occurred in the case of the high acquired capability of suicide, which was a volition variable. The research pointed out the interdependence of depressive symptoms and a sense of belongingness, and clarified the critical role of acquired capability for suicide. The integrated perspective could enhance the interpretation of reality, and enlightened those carrying out the practice of suicide intervention to patients with mental disorders.

The Relationship Between Childhood Neglect and Malevolent Creativity: The Mediating Effect of the Dark Triad Personality.

In addition to what we know as benevolent creativity, which involves originality and usefulness, creativity also includes malevolent creativity, which involves the application of creative ideas to intentionally harm others. This study aimed to explore the environmental and individual predictors of malevolent creativity. We investigated the relationship among childhood neglect, Dark Triad personality traits and malevolent creativity and examined the mediating role of Dark Triad personality. A large sample (N = 991) of Chinese undergraduate students completed the childhood neglect scale, the 12-item Dirty Dozen and the Malevolent Creativity Behavior Scale. Structural equation modeling demonstrated that childhood neglect was positively related to individual malevolent creativity, and the Dark Triad partially mediated this relationship. Additionally, gender differences were found, such that childhood neglect had a stronger effect on malevolent creativity through the Dark Triad among males than females. The results were discussed from the perspectives of life history theory and social information processing theory.

Corrigendum: Stressful Life Events, Depression, and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Among Chinese Left-Behind Children: Moderating Effects of Self-Esteem.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00244.].

The relationship between impulsivity and self-injury in Chinese undergraduates: The chain mediating role of stressful life events and negative affect.

BACKGROUND: Self-injury is one of the strongest predictors of suicide. Undergraduates have been recognized as one of the populations with the highest incidence of self-injury. A substantial body of literature has documented the important influence of impulsivity on self-injury. However, few studies have focused on the mediating mechanisms underlying this relationship. Based on the stress generation hypothesis and the affect-regulation model of self-injury, this study constructed a chain mediating model to examine whether stressful life events and negative affect mediated the relationship between impulsivity and self-injury among Chinese undergraduates. METHODS: A total of 2270 undergraduates (69.8% female, mean age = 19 years) were recruited to participate in this study and completed self-report measures of impulsivity, self-injury, stressful life events and negative affect. RESULTS: (1) There were significant positive correlations among impulsivity, stressful life events, negative affect and self-injury. (2) After controlling for the effect of gender, impulsivity still had a significant positive effect on self-injury. (3) Undergraduates' self-injury was affected by impulsivity partly through 3 different pathways: the mediating role of stressful life events, the mediating role of negative affect, and the chain mediating role of both stressful life events and negative affect. CONCLUSIONS: These findings contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the risk factors for self-injury. Impulsivity, stressful life events, and negative affect might increase the occurrence of self-injury. In addition, the chain mediating effect of stressful life events and negative affect plays an important role in the occurrence of self-injury.

Stressful Life Events, Depression, and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Among Chinese Left-Behind Children: Moderating Effects of Self-Esteem.

Using cross-sectional data of the children in the Guizhou Province of China, the present study examined the association between stressful life events and self-esteem, depression, and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). The participants included 1,210 children recruited from four junior high schools. Self-report questionnaires concerned stressful life events, self-esteem, depression, and NSSI. Results indicated that Chinese left-behind children who faced more stressful life events were more likely to engage in depression and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). Moreover, self-esteem moderated the association between stressful life events and depression, and the association between stressful life events and NSSI. For the left-behind children reporting higher levels of self-esteem, the negative effect of stressful life events on depression and NSSI appeared weaker, compared to those who reported lower levels of self-esteem. In addition, the left-behind type also has a moderating effect on the relationship between stressful life events and NSSI. With the increase of stressful life events, the NSSI among the one-migrating-parent group grows more rapidly than that among the two-migrating-parents group. The findings suggest that self-esteem and left-behind type are important individual factors for Chinese left-behind children.

Economic Pressure and Loneliness in Migrant Children in China: The Mediating Roles of Parent-Child Communication and Parental Warmth.

The purpose of the current study was to examine the mediating roles of parent-child communication and parental warmth in the relationship between economic pressure and loneliness in a sample of migrant children in China. A total of 437 participants were selected from two public schools for migrant children in Zhejiang Province, China. All participants were asked to complete four measures, including the Perceived Economic Strain Scale, the Parent-Child Communication Questionnaire, the Parental Warmth Scale, and the Children's Loneliness Scale. The results showed that economic pressure was positively and directly related to loneliness. Furthermore, parent-child communication and parental warmth partially mediated the relationship between economic pressure and loneliness in migrant children. Thus, parent-child communication and parental warmth play important roles in reducing the negative effect of economic pressure on loneliness in migrant children.

The Role of Interpersonal Problems and Family Environment in the Association Between Impulsivity and Suicidal Ideation: A Moderate Mediation Model.

Impulsivity, interpersonal problems, and family environment are important factors in the development of suicidal ideation, but the pathway of these factors on suicidal ideation is not clear. This study constructed a moderated mediation model to examine whether interpersonal problems mediated the relationship between impulsivity and suicidal ideation and whether this mediating process was moderated by family environment. For this purpose, 902 college students from Tianjin Normal University located in the north of China were recruited to participate in this study with Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, Adolescent Self-Rating Life Events Check List, Family Environment Scale, and Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation. Impulsivity could significantly predict suicidal ideation, and the relationship between impulsivity and suicidal ideation was significantly mediated by interpersonal problems; furthermore, the mediating effect and the directing effect were significantly moderated by family environment. These findings contribute to our understanding of a comprehensive interpretation of both environmental and individual factors' impacts on suicidal ideation.

Parent-child communication and self-esteem mediate the relationship between interparental conflict and children's depressive symptoms.

BACKGROUND: Previous research has paid little attention to the series mediating effect of parent-child communication and self-esteem in the relationship between interparental conflict and child outcomes, although several other mechanisms have been found to involve in this relationship. Thus, the purpose of the present study is to test these two factors' serial mediation of the relationship between interparental conflict and children's depressive symptoms in a sample of migrant children in China. METHODS: Four hundred thirty-seven participants from two public schools for migrant children in Zhejiang Province, China, were administered four measures including the Children's Perceptions of Interparental Conflict Scale, the Parent-child Communication Questionnaire, the Global Self-esteem Scale, and the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale for Children. RESULTS: Results showed that interparental conflict was positively related to depressive symptoms in migrant children, which was partially and serially mediated by parent-child communication and self-esteem in that order. CONCLUSIONS: Parent-child communication and self-esteem play potential roles in the relationship between interparental conflict and depressive symptoms of migrant children in China. This finding has important implications for psychological service providers working with this group of children or children in similar situations.

How belief in a just world might shape responses to discrimination: A case study of left-behind children in China.

BACKGROUND: Previous study has indicated that perceived discrimination affected the children's behaviors, but whether belief in a just world moderates the relationship between perceived discrimination and problem behaviors among left-behind children and whether there are differences between boys and girls are still unknown. AIMS: This study aims at exploring whether perceived discrimination influences the left-behind children's behaviors and the moderating role of belief in a just world among both boys and girls. METHODS: Using cross-sectional data on rural left-behind children in Henan Province of China, this study examined the relationships among perceived discrimination (personal and group), belief in a just world and problem behaviors for both boys and girls. The participants included 336 boys and 310 girls. Self-report questionnaires captured perceived discrimination, belief in a just world and problem behaviors. RESULTS: The results demonstrated that Chinese left-behind boys who perceived a high amount of personal discrimination were prone to exhibit problem behaviors. Yet, neither perceived personal nor group discrimination was associated with problem behaviors among the left-behind girls. Moreover, the children's belief in a just world moderated the association between perceived discrimination and problem behaviors among the boys; in those who reported higher levels of belief in a just world, the negative effect of perceived personal discrimination on problem behaviors appeared weaker, comparing to those who reported lower levels of belief in a just world. In addition, the negative effect of perceived group discrimination on problem behaviors appeared stronger among the left-behind boys who reported higher levels of belief in a just world. CONCLUSION: Belief in a just world provided a protect function for the left-behind children when facing perceived personal discrimination. More attention should be paid on belief in a just world, perceived discrimination and problem behaviors among left-behind children.

Perceived Discrimination and Subjective Well-being in Chinese Migrant Adolescents: Collective and Personal Self-esteem As Mediators.

This study aimed to examine whether collective and personal self-esteem serve as mediators in the relationship between perceived discrimination and subjective well-being among Chinese rural-to-urban migrant adolescents. Six hundred and ninety-two adolescents completed a perceived discrimination scale, a collective self-esteem scale, a personal self-esteem scale, and a subjective well-being scale. Structural equation modeling was used to test the mediation hypothesis. The analysis indicated that both collective and personal self-esteem partially mediated the relationship between perceived discrimination and subjective well-being. The final model also revealed a significant path from perceived discrimination through collective and personal self-esteem to subjective well-being. These findings contribute to the understanding of the complicated relationships among perceived discrimination, collective and personal self-esteem, and subjective well-being. The findings suggest that collective and personal self-esteem are possible targets for interventions aimed at improving subjective well-being. Programs to nurture both the personal and collective self-esteem of migrant adolescents may help to weaken the negative relationships between perceived discrimination and subjective well-being.

Longitudinal Relationships between Social Support and Posttraumatic Growth among Adolescent Survivors of the Wenchuan Earthquake.

This study aimed to explore the longitudinal relationships between social support and posttraumatic growth (PTG) among adolescent survivors of the Wenchuan earthquake. Follow-up assessments were conducted with 452 participants at 12, 18, and 24 months after the earthquake. The results showed that the level of social support at 12 and 18 months following the earthquake predicted subsequent PTG, but not vice versa. In addition, multi-group analyses of gender showed no gender differences between social support and PTG in the cross-lagged model. Thus, psychological interventions and care for survivors should focus on improving adolescent perceptions of social support when responding to stressful experiences.