Zehui Zhou¹, Juan Song^2,*, Kelei Guo^1,*

Journal of Psychology in Africa, Vol.35, No.5, pp. 689-694, 2025, DOI:10.32604/jpa.2025.066954 - 24 October 2025

Abstract This study explored the relationship between physical exercise and college students’ mental health, as well as the mediating role of peer relationships and self-esteem. Participants were 1513 undergraduate students (first to fourth year) from six universities in Guangdong Province, China. They completed the Physical Exercise Scale, College Student Mental Health Scale, Peer Relationship Scale, and Self-Esteem Scale. The results following correlation analysis, structural equation modeling, and the bias-corrected percentile bootstrap method indicated. (1) Physical exercise was positively correlated with the mental health of college students and the direct path was significant; (2) Physical exercise and… More >

Gracia Cristina Villodres^1,#,*, Federico Salvador-Pérez², José Joaquín Muros¹, Rocío Vizcaíno-Cuenca^3,4,#

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.27, No.7, pp. 877-899, 2025, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2025.066137 - 31 July 2025

Abstract Background: University students face significant challenges in maintaining healthy physical activity (PA) and dietary habits, and they often fall short of global health recommendations. Psychological factors such as social physique anxiety, body image concerns, and self-objectification may act as barriers to PA engagement, influencing both mental and physical health. The present study constructed a structural equation model (SEM) to examine the relationship between body image-related psychological factors and resistance to PA in university students from southern Spain. Methods: A cross-sectional and correlational study was conducted with 519 university students (74% females, 26% males; Mean age… More >

Mahshid Manouchehri^1,2,*, Musheer A. Aljaberi^3,4, Yi-Ching Lin⁵, Aiche Sabah⁶, Amira Mohammed Ali⁷, Chung-Ying Lin^8,9,*

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.27, No.7, pp. 1013-1028, 2025, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2025.061088 - 31 July 2025

Abstract Background: While various factors contributing to delinquency have been explored, the role of self-esteem in this specific context has received little attention. Hence, this study aims to investigate the complex issue of adolescent delinquency in Iran by focusing on the mediating role of self-esteem in the relationship between parental attachment and delinquent behavior. Methods: Using the multistage cluster random sampling method, the research involved 528 high school students in Tehran. Each student completed validated scales assessing their parental attachment, self-esteem, and delinquency at school. Multiple regression analyses with the Sobel test and bootstrapping method were… More >

Zizhong Zhang^1,2, Chen Luo^3,4,*

Journal of Psychology in Africa, Vol.35, No.1, pp. 61-67, 2025, DOI:10.32604/jpa.2025.066008 - 30 April 2025

Abstract Online gaming has become a daily norm, leading to unique forms of game-bullying distinct from traditional cyberbullying due to its immersive nature and ranking systems. This study examined how game-bullying victimization (GBV) affects depression via self-esteem, moderated by resilience and the state of flow, among 359 Chinese MOBA (Multiplayer-online-battle-arena) gamers (30.7% female, mean age = 23.8 years, SD = 4.57 years). The analysis revealed a direct link between GBV and depression. Self-esteem mediates this relationship, with higher GBV associated with lower self-esteem and subsequently greater depression. Resilience moderates both direct and indirect effects, mitigating GBV’s More >

Sisi Li¹, Weijian Fu^1,*, Wenyi Liu^2,*, Nailiang Zhong³

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.27, No.2, pp. 137-159, 2025, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2025.059866 - 03 March 2025

Abstract Background: Restrained eating, often motivated by the desire to control weight, is prevalent among young female college students and is considered a risk factor for eating disorders. Negative evaluation fear, exacerbated by social pressure, peer comparison, and academic stress, has been identified as a potential contributor to restrained eating behavior. However, research exploring the relationship between negative evaluation fear and restrained eating, particularly in the context of self-esteem and physical appearance perfectionism, remains limited. This study aims to investigate these relationships and design an intervention program to reduce restrained eating behaviors in female college students.… More >

Jun Zhang^1,2,#,*, Junqiao Guo^3,#

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.27, No.2, pp. 193-214, 2025, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2025.058022 - 03 March 2025

Abstract Background: The academic community is increasingly interested in understanding the mechanisms through which gratitude influences coping strategies. In addition, the role of gratitude in fostering long-term resilience and mental health outcomes has garnered significant attention. This study explores the mechanisms through which gratitude affects problem-focused coping strategies and emotion-focused coping strategies by constructing models involving gratitude, perceived social support, self-esteem, and problem-focused coping strategies, as well as models involving gratitude, perceived social support, self-esteem, and emotion-focused coping strategies. Methods: A longitudinal survey was conducted on 1666 Chinese university students using highly reliable and valid scales,… More >

Young Mi Kim^*

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.26, No.12, pp. 1017-1024, 2024, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2024.057597 - 31 December 2024

Abstract Background: Early adolescents become increasingly conscious of their body image, which can profoundly impact their mental health and well-being. In South Korea, societal pressures and expectations regarding physical appearance are particularly intense, making the study of body-esteem in Korean adolescents especially pertinent. This study explores the roles of self-esteem, peer attachment, and maternal attachments in shaping body-esteem among early adolescents. Methods: Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed using data from 1326 Korean middle school students (Mean_age = 13.32, SD = 1.73). Results: The results revealed that self-esteem had a significantly positive effect on both peer attachment More >

Yunyu Shi^1,2, Fanchang Kong^1,2,*, Min Zhu³

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.26, No.12, pp. 977-985, 2024, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2024.057596 - 31 December 2024

Abstract Background: To reduce adolescents’ social anxiety, the study integrates external factors (social media usage) with internal factors (imaginary audience and appearance-based self-esteem) to internal mechanisms of adolescents’ social anxiety in the Internet age based on objective self-awareness theory and self-esteem importance weighting model. Methods: Utilizing the Social Media Usage Intensity Scale, Social Anxiety Scale, imaginary Audience Scale, and Physical Self Questionnaire, we surveyed 400 junior high school students from three schools in Hubei province, China. Results: A significantly positive correlation is revealed between the intensity of social media usage and both social anxiety and imaginary audience… More >

Dojin An¹, Nguyen Hoang Minh Thuan², Youngho Kim^1,*

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.26, No.10, pp. 847-853, 2024, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2024.055568 - 31 October 2024

Abstract Background: In contemporary society, it has been widely witnessed that a surprising number of adolescents suffer emotional and mental health problems, and such turmoil is very often carried over into adulthood with serious implications for adjustment during the post-adolescent years. The purpose of the current study is to investigate the associations of physical activity with self-esteem, depression, and suicidal ideation. In addition, this study examined whether self-esteem and depression mediate the relationship between physical activity and suicide ideation in adolescents. Methods: The study participants were 946 (male: 527, female: 419) who attended junior high and… More >

Yuetan Wang^1,2,*, Xianle Yan^1,2, Lili Liu^1,2, Xiran Lu^1,2, Lan Luo^1,2, Xiaobin Ding^1,2,*

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.26, No.6, pp. 429-438, 2024, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2024.050445 - 28 June 2024

Abstract Social anxiety (SA) is a prevalent mental health issue among adolescents, and vulnerable narcissism (VN) can exacerbate this condition. This study aims to investigate the impact of vulnerable narcissism on social anxiety in adolescents, specifically focusing on the mediating effects of self-concept clarity (SCC) and self-esteem (SE) in the relationship between vulnerable narcissism and social anxiety. Through cluster sampling, a questionnaire survey was conducted among 982 students from three secondary schools in two provinces. The data was analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results revealed that there was a significant negative correlation between vulnerable More >