Examining the cross-lagged associations between mindsets of depression, anxiety, and stress on mental health symptoms

• In Event: The impact of stress and coping on development: Measurement and mechanisms

Abstract

Background/purpose: The extant literature shows that fixed mindsets about intelligence and personality are associated with psychopathology and mental health symptoms. Also, mindsets (Implicit theories) of depression, anxiety, and stress are strongly associated with mental health symptoms. Meanwhile, individuals with anxiety, depression or stress symptoms may be more likely to non-malleability belief of these symptoms. Yet the temporal sequence has not been examined. Therefore, the study examined the cross-lagged effects of mindsets of depression, anxiety, and stress on the psychological health across cultures.

Methods: Three samples of undergraduate students from Hong Kong (HK; n = 240), Mainland China (ML; n = 273), and Australia (AU; n = 271) completed self-report measures of implicit theories of depression (ITD), anxiety (ITA), and stress (ITS); and depression, anxiety, and stress (DASS-21) online at baseline (T1) and at a 4-week follow-up (T2). Three maximum likelihood multi-group cross-lagged panel models for each of the psychological health outcomes were estimated using lavaan in R.

Results: Model 1 revealed a significant effect of T1 ITD on T2 depression in all samples (βHK = .43; βML = .51; βAU = .27; p < .001) and no effect of T1 depression on T2 ITD in all samples. Model 2 revealed a significant effect of T1 ITA on T2 anxiety in all samples (βHK = .40; β ML = .52; βAU = .20; p < .001) and no effect of T1 anxiety on T2 ITA in HK or ML (effect observed in AU; βAU= .51, p = .04). Model 3 revealed a significant effect of T1 ITS on T2 stress in all samples (βHK = .34; βML = .56; βAU = .22; p < .001) and no effect of T1 stress on T2 ITS in all samples.

Conclusions and implications: Findings support the temporal sequence of relationships between implicit theories of depression, anxiety, and stress on mental health symptoms across Hong Kong, Mainland Chinese, and Australian cultures. Specifically, the study established that those believing levels of depression, anxiety, and stress are fixed, as opposed to malleable, leads to greater depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms.

Authors

• Shimin Zhu, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
  Presenting Author

• Jacob J Keech, University of the Sunshine Coast
  Non-Presenting Author

• Martin Hagger, University of California
  Non-Presenting Author

• Hector Tsang, Hong Kong Polytechnic University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Kyra Hamiltion, Griffith University
  Non-Presenting Author