Abstract
The present study examined the causes and consequences of stress generation in university students in Japan. A two-wave longitudinal study with an 8- or 9-week interval was conducted in the fall of 2020. Undergraduate and graduate students at four universities in Japan (N = 201) completed self-report measures assessing experiences of negative interpersonal dependent events, negative non-interpersonal events, and negative independent events at two times. At the same time, they also responded to measures of aggressive behaviors, trait rumination, and depressive symptoms. Path analyses revealed that baseline aggressive behaviors were positively associated with an increase in subsequent negative interpersonal dependent events, even after controlling for the influences of negative interpersonal dependent events, rumination, and depressive symptoms at baseline. However, aggressive behaviors were not significantly associated with subsequent negative non-interpersonal dependent events or negative independent events. These findings suggest that aggressive behaviors may have been a factor leading to interpersonal stress generation. Furthermore, all categories of negative event experiences predicted an increase in subsequent depressive symptoms, but not subsequent rumination, and rumination was not significantly associated with subsequent depressive symptoms. This research extends previous studies on the causes and consequences of stress generation conducted in the US by using specific measures of aggressive behaviors and including a non-restricted sample of university students in Japan.
Highlights
Studies on stress and depression have mainly focused on the effect of negative life events on the risk of developing depressive symptoms and depressive disorders
This study examined whether aggressive behaviors predict subsequent negative interpersonal dependent events even after controlling for the influence of depressive symptoms and rumination
The model using negative interpersonal dependent events as a measure of negative events indicates that aggressive behaviors at Time 1 were significantly related to increased negative event experiences at Time 2
Summary
Participants were recruited in classes at Hirosaki University, Senshu University, Tokai Gakuin University, and Tokushima University in Japan. 36 participants at Tokushima University and 119 undergraduate students at Tokai Gakuin University who participated at Time 1 could not respond to the questionnaires at Time 2 because their classes could not be conducted face-to-face on the day originally scheduled as Time 2, for the same reason These classes were held online at Time 2, online surveys could not be conducted because the Japanese version of the Beck Depression Inventory-Second Edition, one of the scales used in this study, was prohibited from being used online by Nihon Bunka Kagakusha Co., Ltd. In total, 259 students answered the questionnaire 8 or 9 weeks after Time 1.1. This subscale is composed of 12 items having face validity assessing physical and verbal aggressive behaviors, including “sometimes I was violent unintentionally” and “sometimes I was sarcastic and said bad things to others’ faces.” This subscale showed good internal consistency (Isobe & Hishinuma, 2007).
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
