Role of Character Strengths and Stress in Psychological Symptoms among Chinese Secondary Vocational School Students

Tingting Li,Xiaoming Liu

doi:10.4236/psych.2016.71007

Abstract

Background: Character strengths are important psychology resources, which affect the academic and social development of students at secondary vocational schools. Purpose: We aimed to clarify the relationship between character strengths, psychological stress, and psychological symptoms among these students from a positive psychological perspective. By focusing on virtues and strengths, we suggest improvements to school education and family upbringing. Sample: A total of 282 secondary vocational school students were recruited. Design and Method: Students were asked to complete the Chinese Virtues Questionnaire, Life Stress Rating Scale, and Symptom Checklist-90. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS 19.0. Results: Regression analyses indicated that the interaction between relationship strengths and family stress explained 45% of the variance in psychological symptoms. This study clarified the positive role of character strengths in stressful situations. Thus, helping secondary vocational school students recognize and use their strengths is conducive to improving their health. Conclusion: Our results should also help teachers and parents adopt a strengths perspective, which might encourage students to explore and develop their strengths.

Highlights

China strongly advocates for the development of vocational education due to a growing demand for professionalHow to cite this paper: Li, T
The relationship score on the Chinese Virtues Questionnaire (CVQ) was negatively and significantly related to the study, family, and development stress scores on the Life Stress Rating Scale for College Students (LSRS)
The three character strengths were set as the predictors, and psychological stress and symptoms as dependent variables in each regression equation

Summary

Introduction

China strongly advocates for the development of vocational education due to a growing demand for professionalHow to cite this paper: Li, T. Role of Character Strengths and Stress in Psychological Symptoms among Chinese Secondary Vocational School Students. Improving the teaching quality at secondary vocational schools has become an important topic; there remains little research focusing on secondary vocational school students’ psychological health These students are the same age as high school students, their educational experience makes them face a more complicated situation. Secondary vocational school students who are not satisfied with themselves may develop inferiority complexes, low self-evaluations, and low self-efficacy (Zhou & Li, 2010) It may affect the development of social relationships, which can exacerbate the aforementioned psychological problems, thereby forming a vicious cycle that generates further negative events. Character strengths are important psychology resources, which affect the academic and social development of students at secondary vocational schools. Conclusion: Our results should help teachers and parents adopt a strengths perspective, which might encourage students to explore and develop their strengths

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