Stress-Related Growth in Japanese Adolescents Experiencing High School Entrance Examinations

Abstract

High school entrance examinations and preparation for them have become a highly stressful experience for many Japanese adolescents. This study examined the relationship between stress-related growth (SRG) and distress resulting from these exams from the perspective of positive meaning-making. Ninth graders (N = 183, 87 females, aged 14–15 years) of a public school in Tokyo participated in the study by responding to a questionnaire survey. Results indicated that meaning-making was positively correlated with SRG (r = .58, p < .001), whereas it was negatively correlated with distress (r = −.20, p = .006). Moreover, SRG was negatively correlated with distress (r = −.34, p < .001). Mediation analysis demonstrated that SRG positively mediates the relationship between meaning-making and distress, while distress negatively mediates the relationship between meaning-making and SRG. These results have implications for understanding the causal relationships between SRG and distress, from the perspective of positive meaning-making regarding high school entrance examinations in Japan.