The Role of Perceived Social Support and Stress in the Relationship between Hope and Depression among Chinese Shadow Education Tutors: A Serial Mediation Model

Abstract

The association between hope and depression has been studied, leaving the underlying mechanism of how hope might predict depression unexplored. With a cross-sectional design, this study investigated two possible mediating factors in the relationship between hope and depression among Chinese shadow education tutors, who confront a high turnover rate and are at high risk for depression. Altogether, 221 tutors participated in the survey, and reported their dispositional hope, perceived social support (PSS), perceived stress (PS), and depression. Results indicated that both PSS and PS mediated the relationship between hope and depression. Results also supported the hypothesized serial mediating effect. In other words, hope as a positive disposition may promote PSS, which can mitigate PS. The reduced PS, in turn, alleviates depression. This finding not only shed light on the independent and accumulative mediating effects of PSS and PS, but also has implications for preventive interventions among Chinese shadow education tutors experiencing the enormous pressure of instability. This serial mediation model should be confirmed by further longitudinal study.

The Role of Resilience, Happiness, and Social Support in the Psychological Function during the Late Stages of the Lockdown in Individuals with and without Chronic Pain

“…However, social support proved to be a significant predictor of psychological function (i.e., anxiety, depression, and stress). These findings are in line with research showing that social support predicts mood and function in studies conducted with samples of adults with chronic pain (e.g., [ 37 , 38 , 39 ]) and without (e.g., [ 40 , 41 , 42 ]). Research on social support in individuals with chronic pain has shown that social distancing measures are associated with increased loneliness [ 43 ], reduced access to high-quality pain management [ 2 ], and inequalities of different types (e.g., reduced economic resources [ 29 ]).…”

Examining Perceived Stress and Coping Strategies of University Students during COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Study in Jordan

“…Very recent research on perceived stress and COVID-19 reported that work changes and financial insecurity are also among the most common stressors in the higher education community in a study conducted on early care and education in the United States [ 32 ]. Among the other factors that could contribute to decreasing the perceived stress are perceived social support and hope, as examined on a sample of Chinese shadow teachers [ 33 ]. Furthermore, a study on student nurses in Poland found that a higher level of perceived stress corresponds to a lower level of self-efficacy, life satisfaction, life-orientation, and self-esteem of students [ 34 ].…”

Different Effects of Perceived Social Support on the Relationship between Perceived Stress and Depression among University Students with Borderline Personality Disorder Symptoms: A Multigroup Mediation Analysis

“…The role of perceived social support as a mediator in the relationship between stress and depression has been widely studied amongst a variety of stressors [ 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 ] and in a variety of populations. For example, postpartum women [ 49 ], women with breast cancer [ 50 ], university graduates [ 51 ], and pregnant women [ 52 ] have all confirmed that perceived social support mediates the relationship between perceived stress and depression.…”