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Introduction: Individuals in sexual minority groups experience unique forms of stress and are at increased risk of mental health problems compared to their heterosexual counterparts; however, research is scarce on the underlying mechanisms that contribute to this relationship. The present study aimed to explore the mediating effects of irrationality and self-compassion in the relationship between minority stress and anxiety and depressive symptoms. Methods: Between March 2022 to June 2022, we recruited online a sample of 304 Romanian adults who identified as sexual minorities (Mage = 22.65, SD = 5.23). They completed questionnaires that addressed minority stress, irrational beliefs, self-compassion, and symptoms of anxiety or depression. Results: The findings showed significant associations between minority stress, irrationality, self-compassion, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. Minority stress was related to anxiety and depressive symptoms both directly and indirectly, through two paths (a self-compassion path and an irrationality and self-compassion path). Conclusions: Our results indicated that self-compassion and irrationality are serial mediators in the relationship between minority stress and anxiety and depressive symptoms. Policy Implications: These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of how minority stress is related to anxiety and depressive symptoms and provide important guidance to reduce psychological distress in sexual minority young adults. Furthermore, it has important implications for developing prevention and intervention programs designed for sexual minorities individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guided by the perfectionism social disconnection model (PSDM), this study focused on understanding the perfectionism-suicidality link by including appearance-based rejection sensitivity and loneliness as mediators. In this study, the potential direct and indirect roles of self-oriented perfectionism and socially prescribed perfectionism on suicidal ideation were examined. A convenient sample of 1483 Chinese university students (42.9% male, Mage = 19.14; SDage = 1.03) completed self-report measures of the constructs above. The hypothesized model was tested through path analyses using a bootstrapping approach for the direct, indirect, and total effects. The results indicated that (a) socially prescribed–but not self-oriented– perfectionism has a significant direct path to suicidal ideation; (b) loneliness significantly mediated the association between the two kinds of perfectionism and suicidal ideation; and (c) appearance-based rejection sensitivity and loneliness serially mediated the association between socially prescribed perfectionism/ self-oriented perfectionism and suicidal ideation. The limitations, such as cross-sectional design, use of self-report instruments, and nonclinical samples, call for further investigation. Our findings provide important empirical data guiding future prevention programs for suicide in young adults from a new perspective and suggest that individuals high in perfectionism, particularly socially prescribed perfectionism, can be identified and recruited for early intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The onset age of anxiety is decreasing worldwide, yet the majority of the study conducted on anxiety were focused on adult populations. This study aimed to investigate the mediating effect of psychological capital and coping style tendency on the relationship between emotional intelligence and anxiety in Chinese adolescents and provide empirical evidence for research and prevention. A cross-sectional study recruited 5747 participants from 5 randomly selected middle schools in the northeast China. Study results showed that high emotional intelligence (P < 0.05), high level of psychological capital (P < 0.05), and positive coping style tendency (P < 0.05) were correlated to lower level of anxiety symptoms in adolescents. Psychological capital and coping style tendency performed partial and serial mediating effect on the relationship between emotional intelligence and anxiety. Teaching adolescents how to regulate emotions can strengthens their positive mentalities, promotes the use of positive coping strategies, and then attenuates the severity of anxiety symptoms in a nonadditive manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explore how employees learn unethical behavior from leader's unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB) and develop team unethical climate. Drawing upon social cognitive theory, our serial mediation model proposes that indirect association between leader UPB and team-level unethical climate is sequentially mediated by employees' moral detachment and self-interested unethical behavior. We employed a multilevel structural equation model to empirically support this model on dyadic data obtained from 165 leaders and 330 employees. Results suggest that employees process and learn unethical behavioral principles from leader UPB and perform self-interested unethical behavior such that it ultimately develops team-level unethical climate. Key theoretical and practical implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alexithymia is an essential predictor of problematic gaming, while the role of internalizing and externalizing problems in their relationship remains unclear. Nine hundred and twenty participants (18–25 yrs., 464 males) were evaluated through an online survey. Alexithymia was assessed with the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), gaming intensity was evaluated with the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form (IGDS9-SF), depression and anxiety symptoms were assessed with the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21), and reactive aggression was evaluated with the Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire (RPQ). Serial mediation models were performed to examine the potential indirect pathways through which alexithymic is associated with disordered gaming. Multigroup analysis was used to explore the moderating role of gender. It was found that depression/anxiety and reactive aggression mediated the relationship between alexithymia and gaming severity in parallel and serial. Furthermore, the strength of internalizing pathways was more robust than the externalizing ones. Although the multigroup comparison did not reveal significant gender effects, the structure of the mediation models differed trivially between males and females. The present study confirmed the mediating role of depression/anxiety and reactive aggression in the relationship between alexithymia and gaming, which provides intervention studies with important targeting factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Victim-blaming is a source of deep concern for survivors of violence since it is linked to feelings of shame, guilt, and embarrassment, as well as less help-seeking behaviors, fear of being known by others, and fear of revenge by the perpetrator. In cases of intimate partner violence, cultural and individual factors such as sexism, honor system endorsement, and fragile masculinity beliefs all play a part in determining who is to blame. This study, therefore, aimed to examine the mechanisms relating hostile sexism to victim-blaming of men from an honor culture, where one's self-worth is dependent on the judgments of others, and men are assigned to safeguard the family's honor. In total, 252 men from Turkey participated in the study. Hostile sexism, supporting honor norms, and fragile masculinity beliefs of men predicted more victim-blaming in a male to female partner violence depicted through a date rape scenario. Supporting honor norms and fragile masculinity beliefs mediated the association between hostile sexism and victim-blaming. Findings suggested that questioning honor codes and masculine ideas may reduce victim-blaming. Implications of the findings for prevention efforts and future studies are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disparities in educational outcomes for students living in communities burdened with high rates of violence are striking as they are at an increased risk for misbehavior, low GPA, poor school attendance, and decreased standardized test scores. However, limited research identifies the role that schools play in exacerbating exposure to violence to inform changes that aid in mitigating violence exposure. As such, this study utilizes the Pathways to Desistance Study to explore the mediating roles of school attachment and motivation to succeed on students' academic outcomes after exposure to community violence. Using a serial mediation model, findings indicate that school attachment and motivation to succeed mediate the relationship between exposure to violence and grades. Implications for adapting school programs and policies as well as providing teacher training to increase school attachment and motivation are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand the origins of "the seeds of leadership", the present study explored the relationship between family socioeconomic status (SES) and youth leadership potential. Specifically, we proposed and tested a path model illustrating the mediating effects of parental rearing behaviors and youth self-esteem on the link between family SES and youth leadership potential. In total, 692 Chinese middle school students (316 male and 376 female) from the seventh to ninth grades (aged approximately 12–15 years old) completed measures of family SES, parental rearing behaviors, youth self-esteem, and youth leadership potential. The results fully supported the proposed serial mediation model. Family SES was indirectly related to youth leadership potential via two kinds of parental rearing behaviors (warmth and rejection) followed by youth self-esteem. The serial mediation model obtained in this study sheds light on the origins of leadership potential and benefits the design of youth leadership interventions. The theoretical and practical implications of the research findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to evaluate the evolution of pain through pregnancy until after delivery, as well as to explore the mediating role of pregnancy worries in this evolution of pain. We conducted a longitudinal cohort study. The convenience sample was evaluated on four separate occasions: in the first trimester of pregnancy (pain), during the third trimester (pain and worry), during labor (pain), and after birth (< 24 h; pain). The final sample included 120 pregnant women with a mean age of 31.29 years (SD = 4.9; range = [22, 42 years]). The results evidenced changes in pain over time (F = 13.31, p <.001). Pain severity increased in the third trimester compared to the first trimester (t = − 4.60; 95% CI = [− 1.31, − 0.52]; p <.001), while pain during the third trimester and pain after delivery were comparable (t = − 0.94; 95% CI = [− 1.02, 0.36]; p =.35). Pain during labor was uncorrelated with all other pain measures, so it was not included in the model. The results of the mediation analyses indicated a total effect of pain during pregnancy (first and third trimester) and worry on pain severity after delivery (B = 0.35; SE = 0.14; t = 2.43; 95% CI = [0.06, 0.65]; p =.017). Pregnancy worries (B = 0.14; SE = 0.07; 95% CI = [0.06, 0.29]), but not pain during the third trimester (B = 0.03; SE = 0.12; 95% CI = [− 0.17, 0.31]) mediated the relationship between pain during the first trimester and pain after delivery. These results support the need to reduce worry in pregnant mothers, especially when pain during the first trimester is high, to reduce the risk of pain after delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the link of depression and self-esteem with disordered eating is well reported in literature, there is insufficient insight into the underlying processes that inform the relationship. The present study examined the mediating effects of comparison of appearance and internalization of appearance ideals in the relationship of depression and self-esteem with disordered eating. The study sample comprised of 381 school-going adolescent girls, aged 13 to 18, from Islamabad, Pakistan. As part of the study, participants were required to complete several measures, including the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire—Short Form, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale 21, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Physical Appearance Comparison Scale—Revised, and Sociocultural Attitudes Toward Appearance Questionnaire—4. Findings revealed significant relationships between depression, self-esteem, comparison of appearance, internalization of appearance ideals, and disordered eating. Path analyses indicated that comparison of appearance and internalization of appearance ideals partially serially mediated the relationship between depression and disordered eating. Additionally, these two mediators were found to fully serially mediate the relationship between self-esteem and disordered eating. This study implicates the importance of considering depression and self-esteem in predicting disordered eating. Furthermore, findings posited that comparison of appearance and internalization of appearance ideals posed as potential risk factors in aggravating disordered eating. This study extends an opportunity for clinicians and community workers to initiate projects of social welfare such as awareness programs to address eating-related pathologies in educational as well as community settings, specifically amongst the adolescent population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The investigation examined whether mothers' optimism and family routine in serial order, mediated the association of kin support with adolescents' externalizing problems in a sample of urban, low income, African American mothers and adolescents (N = 200). The study is grounded in the Integrative Model for the Study of Developmental Competencies in Minority Children, which predicts that mothers who receive more support from extended family will report higher levels of optimism and will create more routine and order in the home and in turn, will have adolescents who exhibit less problem behavior. Hypotheses were examined with structured interviews administered to mothers and adolescents. Results revealed that kin support was negatively associated with adolescents' externalizing problems. Kin support was also positively linked to mothers' optimism and family routine. Mothers' optimism and family routine in serial order mediated the association of kin support with adolescents' externalizing problems. Findings reveal some of the process through which kin support, a vital resource in many African American families, may be linked to positive outcomes. Implications for promoting adolescent adjustment and family relations are discussed. Highlights: Kin support has been linked to adjustment in African American families. Little is known about mediation of association of kin support with adjustment. Kin support was linked to decrease in externalizing problems for adolescents. Mothers' optimism and family routine were mediating variables in serial order. More research is needed on support networks in African American families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the authors examined how perceived supervisor incivility negatively affected the performance of child-care workers, focusing on emotional exhaustion and intrinsic motivation as underlying mediators. Data were collected from 321 child-care workers at 43 daycare centers in South Korea. A two-stage mediation model using multilevel structural equation modeling (MSEM) indicated that emotional exhaustion and intrinsic motivation fully and sequentially mediated the relationship. Perceived supervisor incivility emotionally exhausted child-care workers, decreased their intrinsic motivation, and reduced their overall performance. The findings highlight the need to manage workplace incivility in the child care sector. Finally, implications for organizational practice and interventions were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to explore the underlying mechanism of childhood psychological maltreatment and self-satisfaction through serial mediation involving self-critical rumination and self-compassion. The study employed a cross-sectional design with 528 participants (343 females, 185 males), including young adults and adults aged 18 to 59. The convenience sampling method was used, and to collect data, the participants completed the self-satisfaction scale, childhood trauma questionnaire, self-critical rumination, and self-compassion scale. Structural equation modeling results indicated that, controlling for age and gender effects, childhood psychological maltreatment was negatively correlated with self-satisfaction and self-compassion and positively correlated with self-critical rumination. The serial mediation analysis revealed that self-critical rumination explains a unique variance beyond the influence of self-compassion. Furthermore, even when controlling for the effects of self-critical rumination and self-compassion, childhood psychological maltreatment still directly affected self-satisfaction. The bootstrapping process revealed substantial relationships between childhood psychological maltreatment and self-satisfaction through self-critical rumination. An important result of this study indicated that childhood psychological maltreatment may impair individual’s subjective well-being even during adulthood. To enhance the self-satisfaction of these individuals, interventions should focus especially on decreasing self-critical rumination and increasing self-compassion. Public health professionals should make efforts to prevent children from experiencing psychological maltreatment, which can adversely impact their subjective well-being in adulthood. The study acknowledges its limitations, and suggestions for future research are highlighted in light of the existing literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although it is an increasingly popular assumption that leader mindfulness may positively affect leader behaviors and, in turn, employee outcomes, to date, little empirical evidence supports this view. Against this backdrop, the present research seeks to develop and test a serial mediation model of leader mindfulness. Specifically, we propose that leader mindfulness enhances employee performance and that this relationship is explained by increased leader procedural justice enactment and, subsequently, reduced employees' emotional exhaustion. We conducted three studies to test this model. Study 1 involved employees from a wide range of organizations in the USA (N = 275 employees). Study 2 used a sample of leaders and employees from China and measured our model variables at three different points in time (N = 182 employees and 54 leaders). Both studies provide consistent support for our hypotheses. Finally, Study 3 involved a laboratory experiment in which 62 senior executives were assigned to either a mindfulness induction or to a control condition. Again, results revealed a significant and positive link between leader mindfulness and leader procedural justice enactment. In sum, these findings expand our understanding of mindfulness to the domain of leadership, a key area of organizational research. Moreover, they complement prior studies by showing that mindfulness dynamics go beyond intrapersonal effects but also influence the attitudes and behaviors of others. We discuss our findings in light of their contributions to the mindfulness, ethics, and leadership literatures and point out implications for practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The central aim of the study was to examine the relationship between primary school teachers' life goals and life satisfaction using the self-determination theory (Deci and Ryan 2000) and the flow theory (Csikszentmihalyi 1975) as a framework. A study was conducted to test whether the relationship between intrinsic life goals and teachers' life satisfaction is mediated by two serially posited mediators, the satisfaction of each basic psychological need (competence, autonomy and relatedness) and the experience of flow at work. A total of 480 primary school teachers (17 years of work experience on average) from different regions of Croatia participated in the study. The results, obtained by structural equation modeling, showed that only the need for competence and flow at work significantly mediate between intrinsic life goals and life satisfaction (β =.04, p <.001). The needs for autonomy and relatedness were not significant mediators when used as serial mediators. Thus, the study provides evidence that the positive relationship between life goals and life satisfaction is partly due to the increased satisfaction of the need for competence and more frequent flow experience at work. Also, the indirect effect of extrinsic goals on life satisfaction (β = −.024, p <.01) through autonomy and flow work was tested and found to be significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies have documented that self-esteem and social support mediate the relationship between extroversion and happiness. Most of the studies, however, were conducted in a piecemeal fashion and have rarely evaluated the two mediators simultaneously. It is not clear whether the two mediating effects are equally important or one is greater than the other. Moreover, little attention has been given to the indirect effect of extraversion on happiness through self-esteem then social support (i.e., serial mediating effect). The present study attempts to bridge these gaps by proposing and testing a path model illustrating the mediating effects of self-esteem and social support on the linkage of extraversion and happiness. Undergraduate students ( N = 311) completed measures of extroversion, social support, self-esteem, and happiness. Results showed that extraversion, self-esteem, and social support were significantly associated with happiness. As predicted, both self-esteem and social support mediated the relationship between extraversion and happiness, respectively. Results also supported the hypothesized serial mediating effect. In other words, extroverts tend to have high self-esteem which increases supports they receive from friends and family. The high social support, in turn, enhances happiness. Additionally, comparisons among the three indirect effects indicated that the effect of self-esteem was significantly greater than the other two effects. The findings not only shed light on the independent and accumulative mediating effects of self-esteem and social support, but also provide new insight into the difference in strength of the indirect effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]