The mediating effect of coping style on the relationship between looming cognitive style and anxiety and depression of university students

Abstract

Objective To analyze the mediating effect of coping style on the relationship between Looming Cognitive Style (LCS) and anxiety and depression of university students. Methods 281 university students were investigated with looming maladaptive style questionnaire(LMSQ), simplified coping style questionnaire(SCSQ), Beck anxiety inventory(BAI) and Beck depression inventory(BDI). Results ①The differences between positive group and negative group in anxiety were significant in LCS((62.67±16.42) vs (52.56±11.23)) and physical threat of LCS((32.58±8.90) vs (26.14±6.40))(t=2.97, P 0.05). The differences of the people in different degree of depression were significant in LCS and physical threat and social threat of LCS (F=11.635, P<0.05; F=10.357, P<0.05; F=4.774, P<0.05). ②LCS were positively correlated with anxiety and depression(r=0.257, P<0.01; r=0.343, P<0.01). Negative coping style was positively correlated with anxiety and depression(r=0.286, P<0.01; r=0.299, P<0.01), and positive coping style was negatively correlated with anxiety and depression(r=-0.176, P<0.01; r=-0.248, P<0.01). ③Positive and negative coping style partly mediated the relationship between LCS and anxiety and depression, and the proportions of mediating effects in total effects were 9.5%-21.8%, the variation for mediation explained the variance of the dependent variable were 9.5%-23.0%. Conclusion Coping style mediates LCS and anxiety and depression, and coping style are needed to be considered during intervening anxiety and depression of university students. Key words: Coping style; LCS; Anxiety; Depression