Sendhi Tristanti Puspitasari^1,2, Hung-En Liao^1,*, Eri Yanuar Akhmad Budi Sunaryo³, Penta Akhirul Awal⁴

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.28, No.6, 2026, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2026.078980 - 23 June 2026

Abstract Background: Adolescent girls tend to engage in more sedentary behavior than boys, which is associated with adverse physical and psychosocial outcomes, including depression. This study examined the relationships between sedentary behavior, perceived stress, body mass index (BMI), and depressive symptoms among adolescent girls in Indonesia and tested the mediating roles of perceived stress and BMI. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 482 female senior high school students (age 14–20) in Malang City, East Java, Indonesia. Sedentary behavior was assessed by the Adolescent Sedentary Activity Questionnaire (ASAQ) and expressed as total hours/day. Perceived stress was measured… More >

Xiaohui Wang^1,#, Aiqin Liu^2,#, Zechun Ma^3,#, Nien-Hwa Lai^4,*, Rui Ding^5,*

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.28, No.6, 2026, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2026.078910 - 23 June 2026

Abstract Objectives: Chinese higher education faces rising depression rates amidst fragmented campus mental health services. This pilot study examined the feasibility and preliminary outcomes of implementing a standardized psychodrama program across multiple university sites. Methods: This single-arm study was conducted across three Beijing universities from September 2024 to January 2025. A total of 27 undergraduates completed an 8-week psychodrama intervention program comprising weekly 2.5-h sessions. A unified protocol was ensured through centralized facilitator training and cross-site supervision. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory-II at baseline, post-intervention, 3-month, and 6-month follow-ups. Retention rates were 93.8%… More >

Verónica García-Tribaldos¹, Laura Lacomba-Trejo^2,*

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.28, No.6, 2026, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2026.078835 - 23 June 2026

Abstract Backgrounds: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can increase the likelihood of developing insecure attachment patterns, which in turn may heighten economic concerns and couple dissatisfaction—both generally and particularly in the context of assisted reproduction treatments (ART). These processes together elevate the risk of postpartum depression (PPD). Methods: This study examined psychosocial and relational predictors of PPD in a sample of 149 Spanish women up to 12 months postpartum following ART. (8.1% = artificial insemination with a sperm donor; 12.1% = artificial insemination without a sperm donor; 67.1% = in vitro fertilization; 20.8% = intracytoplasmic sperm injection; 12.8% =… More >

Chun-Chieh Hu^1,*, Meixuan Li^1,2, Ruize Gao^1,2

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.28, No.5, 2026, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2026.078559 - 28 May 2026

Abstract Backgrounds: The mental health consequences of social media use remain debated. Drawing on the “rich-get-richer” perspective, this study examines whether social media access interacts with perceived social resources to shape depression risk among Chinese students. Methods: We analyze nationally representative data from the 2020 and 2022 waves of the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), constructing a two-period unbalanced student panel. High-dimensional fixed effects linear probability models are estimated with province and year fixed effects and province-specific linear trends. Mediation analyses follow the Baron and Kenny framework and are supplemented by Sobel-Goodman and bootstrap tests. Heterogeneity is… More >

Guangdong Zhou^1,2, Qing Zhang¹, Meishuo Yu^3,*

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.28, No.4, 2026, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2026.076721 - 28 April 2026

Abstract Background: Adolescence is a critical period for mental health development, during which individuals may experience emotional challenges such as anxiety and depression. However, the patterns of how these symptoms develop and change over time in high school students, as well as the factors that influence these patterns, remain unclear. This study aims to identify distinct anxiety-depression symptom profiles and their transitions over time, while examining the roles of gender, subjective well-being, and psychological resilience in shaping these profiles. Methods: Two-wave longitudinal questionnaire data were collected from 913 high school students (57% female) in Shandong Province, China,… More >

Zhenlian Luo, Rongning Luo, Zhenzhu Cao, Huiyue Jiang^*

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.28, No.4, 2026, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2026.075797 - 28 April 2026

Abstract Background: Experiences of social exclusion can significantly affect individuals’ cognitive and emotional well-being, potentially resulting in maladaptive coping strategies or harmful behaviors. College students are at a critical stage of personal development, exhibiting distinctive psychological and behavioral patterns. Therefore, exploring the underlying mechanisms connecting social exclusion and malevolent creativity among college students is particularly important. This study aims to reveal the relationship between social exclusion and malevolent creative behavior among undergraduates and its potential mechanisms. Methods: This cross-sectional study collected data from 500 undergraduates across three universities in Guangxi via convenience sampling. Participants completed the Ruminative… More >

Juyan Fang¹, Xin Deng¹, Mengting Pan², Guoqiang Chen¹, Yang Liu^1,*

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.28, No.4, 2026, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2026.073013 - 28 April 2026

Abstract Objectives: Social Media Dependence (SMD) has emerged as a growing public health concern among adolescents. Psychological Maltreatment (PM), characterized by denigration, intimidation, and emotional neglect, is considered an important familial risk factor for adolescents’ emotional and behavioral problems. However, the psychological mechanisms linking PM to adolescent SMD remain insufficiently understood. This study aimed to examine the relationship between PM and SMD and to explore the mediating roles of Difficulty Describing Feelings (DDF), Depression (DP), and Anxiety (AN). Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 2243 Chinese adolescents. Descriptive statistics, correlation analyses, and mediation analyses were performed… More >

Kai Jing^1,2,#, Jingqun Wang^3,#, Baojuan Ye^3,4,*, Qi Dai⁴, Xian Gong⁵, Guorong Wang²

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.28, No.4, 2026, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2025.071120 - 28 April 2026

Abstract Objectives: Early adolescence is a key period of ecological and physiological change, during which exposure to accumulating risks from various environmental systems can negatively impact mental health. This study aimed to investigate the potential longitudinal relationships among cumulative risk, depression, and psychache in adolescents. Methods: A three-wave longitudinal study spanning one year was conducted with 675 (47.5% girls; Mean age = 14.13, standard deviation [SD] = 0.45) middle school students. The Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Model (RI-CLPM) was used to explore the dynamic reciprocal relationships among these variables. Results: At the within-individual level, cumulative risk, depression, and… More >

Xu Wang^1,2, Cui-Hong Cao^2,3, Xiao-Ling Liao⁴, Xing-Yong Jiang⁵, Mark D. Griffiths⁶, I-Hua Chen^7,*, Chung-Ying Lin^8,9,*

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.28, No.3, 2026, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2026.075149 - 31 March 2026

Abstract Background: The recently developed Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales–Youth Version (DASS-Y) shows promise as a tool for assessing youth mental health, but its consistency across timepoints and diverse ages remains underexplored. The present study evaluated whether the DASS-Y reliably measured depression, anxiety, and stress among school-aged youth (aged 9–18 years) across distinct time periods and educational stages. Methods: Two studies were conducted. Study 1 examined consistency over three months using data from 736 Central Chinese high school students who completed surveys at both timepoints. Study 2 tested consistency across educational levels among 2321 primary and 1676… More >

Xiaojiao Sun^1,*, Shuge Zhang^2,3,*

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.28, No.3, 2026, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2026.073845 - 31 March 2026

Abstract Background: Depression is a growing public health concern among Chinese children and adolescents, with substantial healthcare costs. Physical activity (PA) and organized sport are modifiable behaviours protective against depression. This study, therefore, estimated the healthcare costs of depression attributable to insufficient PA and organized sport participation. Methods: A cost-of-illness approach with population attributable fraction (PAF) was applied. Relative risks were derived from longitudinal evidence, prevalence estimates from national Chinese surveys, and depression case numbers from the Global Burden of Disease 2021. Direct healthcare costs were extrapolated from European Union estimates, adjusted to 2024 US dollars (USD),… More >