Self-esteem, Optimism, And Meditation Are Multiple Mediating Roles Between Neuroticism And College Students' Mental Health

As the backbone of the country in the future, college students’ mental health is related to social stability, social progress and social development. As an important research topic in the field of the psychology, pedagogy, management science, economics, college students’mental health has received extensive attention. Studies have shown that personality plays an important role in college students’ mental health. It was found that neuroticism influence negatively the mental health of college students. On the basis of previous studies, this paper explores the multiple mediation of self-esteem, optimism, rumination in the relationship between neuroticism and mental health variables, including depression, anxiety, life satisfaction, in order to provide theoretical guidance and empirical basis for reducing depression and anxiety and improving life satisfaction.The article consists of two studies, In Study 1,386 undergraduates act as subjects. Neuroticism Scale, Self-Esteem Scale, Optimism Scale, Self-Rating Depression Scale, Self-Rating Anxiety Scale were used to explore the mediating role of self-esteem, optimism in the relationship between neuroticism and depression as well as anxiety, In Study 2,410 undergraduates act as subjects. Neuroticism Scale, Self-Esteem Scale, Optimism Scale, Self-Rating Depression Scale, Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, Rumination Scale, Life Satisfaction Scale were used to explore the mediating role of self-esteem, optimism and rumination in the relationship between neuroticism and negative mental health variables(i.e. depression, anxiety), as well as life satisfaction.The study concluded that:(1)The detection rate of depression among college students was 33%, with 0.3% being major depression,7.8% being moderate depression,24.9% being mild depression. The detection rate of anxiety was 33%, with 1.3% being severe anxiety,5.4% being moderate anxiety,15.5% being mild anxiety.(2) Significant gender differences appeared in neuroticism, self-esteem, depression and life satisfaction. The score of neuroticism and depression of male undergraduates were significantly lower than that of female undergraduates, while the score of self-esteem and satisfaction with life of male undergraduates are significantly higher than that of female undergraduates.(3) The score of self-esteem of undergraduates from one-child family was higher than those from non-only-child family. At the same time, the score of neuroticism of undergraduates from one-child family was slight lower than those from non-only-child family.(4) The score of life satisfaction of urban undergraduates was significantly higher than that of rural undergraduates; The score of rumination of science students are significantly higher than that of arts students.(5) Neuroticism, rumination, depression and anxiety correlated positively with each other; Self-esteem, optimism and life satisfaction correlated positively with each other; Neuroticism, rumination, depression and anxiety correlated negatively with self-esteem, optimism and life satisfaction.(6) Study 1 suggested that neuroticism exerted direct influence on anxiety. Self-esteem acted as mediator between neuroticism and depression. Self-esteem and optimism formed meditational chain between neuroticism and negative mental health variables (i.e. depression, anxiety). Study 2 showed that rumination acted as mediator between neuroticism and negative mental health variables (i.e. depression, anxiety). Self-esteem and optimism formed a meditational chain between neuroticism and negative mental health variables (i.e. depression, anxiety).while self-esteem mediated neuroticism and life satisfaction.