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Depression and Perceived Social Support among Unemployed Youths in China: Investigating the Roles of Emotion-Regulation Difficulties and Self-Efficacy

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  • Zhiya Hua

    (School of Government, Shanghai University of Political Science and Law, Shanghai 201701, China)

  • Dandan Ma

    (School of Sociology and Political Science, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China)

Abstract

In recent years, the issue of youth unemployment has begun to emerge in China. Unemployed young people are at high risk of depression and other mental health problems. The present study investigates influential factors related to depression and examines the possible mediating effects of difficulties in emotion regulation and self-efficacy between perceived social support and depressive symptoms among unemployed youths in China. Through community recruitment, 511 unemployed young people from Shanghai participated in this cross-sectional survey. The results demonstrate that the prevalence of probable depression in the sample was 49.3% (95% CI: 45.0–53.7%). Moreover, we found that both the perceived social support and self-efficacy were significant negative predictors of depression, whereas difficulties in emotion regulation were positive predictors of depression. In addition, the analysis results indicate that difficulties in emotion regulation and self-efficacy partially mediate the relationship between perceived social support and depression. Overall, this cross-sectional study reveals that depression and mental health problems among China’s unemployed youths are concerning while identifying emotion-regulation difficulties as a risk factor for these and social support and self-efficacy as protective factors, all of which warrant our attention in preventing and intervening with cases of youth depression.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhiya Hua & Dandan Ma, 2022. "Depression and Perceived Social Support among Unemployed Youths in China: Investigating the Roles of Emotion-Regulation Difficulties and Self-Efficacy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(8), pages 1-15, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:8:p:4676-:d:792696
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    1. Marina Alarcón-Espinoza & Paula Samper-Garcia & M. Teresa Anguera, 2023. "Systematic Observation of Emotional Regulation in the School Classroom: A Contribution to the Mental Health of New Generations," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(8), pages 1-14, April.
    2. Zhiya Hua & Dandan Ma & Xiaoling Xia, 2022. "Emotional Dysregulation and Time Structure Mediate the Link between Perceived Stress and Insomnia among Unemployed Young People in China: A Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-15, September.

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