Weight stigma is a common psychosocial stressor among adolescents and an important determinant of mental and physical well-being. However, the mechanisms through which it affects health outcomes remain insufficiently understood. This study explored the mediating and moderating roles of personality traits and perceived social support in the relationship between weight stigma and health outcomes in adolescents. A cross-sectional self-report study was conducted with 1,011 high school students (59.64% female; Mage = 16.50 years, SDage = 1.10), using validated measures of weight stigma, Big Five personality traits, perceived social support, mental health (anxiety, depression, stress), and somatization. Mediation and moderation were tested using path analysis models, controlling for gender and BMI. Results showed that weight stigma directly predicted higher anxiety, depression, stress, and somatization. Positive indirect effects of weight stigma on health outcomes were observed through neuroticism, family support, and teacher support. Frequent stigmatization predicted lower levels of perceived social support and higher neuroticism, which in turn predicted poorer health outcomes. Moderation analyses showed that higher neuroticism and extraversion increased the effects of weight stigma on anxiety, while extraversion buffered its effects on somatization. Interestingly, while family support generally serves as a protective factor against somatization, higher levels of support were associated with a stronger effect of weight stigma on somatization. These findings emphasize the complex interplay between weight stigma, individual traits, and social context, supporting a biopsychosocial understanding of adolescent health. Furthermore, they emphasize the need for a comprehensive prevention and intervention approach to support this vulnerable population.

While the Big Five personality traits are established predictors of Cultural Intelligence (CQ), broad dispositional frameworks often under-specify the concrete self-regulatory strategies individuals deploy when navigating cultural novelty. This study advances CQ research by examining the Change-Related Personality Typology, comprising Proactive, Adaptive, Passive, and Change-Resistant profiles, as theoretically meaningful antecedents of CQ. Grounded in Cognitive-Adaptive Trait Theory, we argue that the combination of change orientation (embrace vs. resist) and control strategy (primary vs. secondary) shapes intercultural competence. Data from 261 emergent adults in a multicultural university setting were analyzed using hierarchical regression with bootstrapping, Importance-Performance Map Analysis (IPMA), and Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA). Across analyses, Adaptive and Proactive personalities were robust positive predictors of CQ, whereas Change-Resistant personality showed a consistent negative association. Evidence for Passive personality was weaker and context-dependent, aligning with its low-activation behavioral profile. Steiger’s Z-tests further indicated that Adaptive personality relates more strongly to CQ than Proactive personality and that Change-Resistant personality is more damaging than Passive personality. Moving beyond average effects, NCA showed that baseline levels of Proactive and Adaptive personality operate as necessary conditions for achieving high CQ, whereas IPMA highlighted Adaptive personality as the most impactful “driver” of CQ performance. Together, these findings refine dispositional models of CQ by distinguishing traits that increase CQ on average from traits that function as minimum prerequisites for high CQ.

Romantic relationships are crucial to life, but disappointment and unmet expectations can lead to couple burnout. Gratitude, as a positive emotional response, serves as a protective factor in relationships. It was considered necessary to examine couple burnout, hope, and gratitude, in terms of positive psychotherapy. This study aimed to examine the actor–partner interdependence between state hope and couple burnout and to test gratitude as a mediator using an APIMeM approach. The study included 338 heterosexual couples (N = 676) from Türkiye. Path analysis was conducted to evaluate actor, partner, and indirect effects. Results indicated that men reported higher state hope, whereas women reported higher gratitude and lower couple burnout. Across both genders, higher state hope was associated with higher gratitude, and higher gratitude was associated with lower couple burnout. Regarding partner effects, men’s state hope significantly predicted women’s gratitude, and women’s gratitude significantly predicted men’s couple burnout. In contrast, women’s state hope did not predict men’s gratitude, and men’s gratitude did not predict women’s couple burnout. Overall, gratitude emerged as a key mechanism linking state hope to lower couple burnout.

Bullying has been considered a substantial risk factor toward various psychological disorders such as dissatisfaction with body image and body dysmorphic symptoms. This meta-analysis examines the strength and the nature of association between these aforementioned variables and its mental health consequences. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted on examining association between bullying and body dysmorphic symptoms, body image dissatisfaction, psychological distress, and self-esteem. Effect sizes were calculated using Hedges’ g and pooled odds ratios (OR) under a random-effects model. Moderators and heterogeneity were explored using moderator analysis and meta-regression. The subgroup analyses (Cross-sectional versus Longitudinal Study Design) were carried out to determine the difference between study types. The meta-essentials excel workbook dichotomous (binary) was used to estimate Ors conduct meta-analysis. The forest and funnel plots were plotted to determine the statistical significance. The review of 38 Studies that explore the relationship between these variables at different time points to illustrate the effects on overall body dissatisfaction, low self-esteem, psychological distress, anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation. Gender differences demonstrated that female participants were found more vulnerable to body dissatisfaction and eating disorders than male who were more likely to have anxiety regarding muscularity and strength. Five studies assessing body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) revealed a pooled OR of 6.30 (95% CI [2.25, 17.62], I2 = 55.35% p < 0.001), indicating a significantly increased likelihood of body dysmorphic symptoms among bullied adolescents, but significant heterogeneity among studies (cross-sectional studies I2 = 0.00%; longitudinal studies I2 = 86.17%). The high heterogeneity in longitudinal studies is due to differential diagnosis methods and small number of studies (k = 2). Furthermore, body image dissatisfaction also showed a significant negative association with bullying exposure (g = −1.38, 95% CI [−1.54, −1.23], p < 0.001). Similar patterns were observed with secondary outcomes with bullying attributing to psychological distress (g = −1.24) and lower self-esteem (g = −1.12). Considerable moderators were the study design, setting, and type of bullying, with cyberbullying and appearance-specific bullying having the greatest effects. Younger age of adolescent was found to be predictive of large effect sizes by meta-regression, as well as high quality of study. The sensitivity analysis supported the strength of the results, and the adjusted estimates showed that no publication bias (Egger regression test estimate = 4.96, p = 0.471; Trim and Fill method, p-value = 0 missing study; Begg and Mazumdar test, p-value = 1.00). Physical appearance and cyberbullying impact the body dysmorphic symptoms development negatively, body image dissatisfaction, psychological distress, and self-esteem. Bullying and body dysmorphic disorder are also found associated. The absence of publication bias suggests the results were valid and reliable, but meta-analysis findings are based on inclusion of a small number of longitudinal studies and majorly from cross-sectional studies. To maintain diagnosis consistency and methodological robustness in evidence synthesis, future researchers should undertake more longitudinal cohort studies utilizing standardized or validated BDD diagnosis scales. Although qualitative (systematic) synthesis shows a temporal relationship between bullying and BDD, but cross-sectional research-based evidence unable to determine the causal relationship. Future longitudinal or randomized controlled studies are encouraged to confirm and generalize findings.

In China, the number of left-behind children (LBC) was more than 61 million, accounting for 21.88% of the child population. Due to a lack of parental care and insufficient family support, these children were more susceptible to stressful life events, such as interpersonal relationship (e.g., conflicts with classmates or friends) and study pressure (e.g., failures in the exam). Empathy, as an important protective factor, played a significant role in promoting the socialization and coping with stressful life events of LBC. Prior studies confirmed the relationship between stressful life events and empathy but not the underlying mechanisms for LBC and whether there were gender differences in the relationship. With a sample of 702 LBC (M age = 12.61, SD = 1.60; 55.27% girls, 44.73% boys), we studied the relationship between stressful life events, self-esteem, and empathy. The results showed that stressful life events were directly and positively associated with empathy, that is, LBC who experienced more stressful events exhibited higher empathy. Furthermore, self-esteem mediated the relationship between stressful life events and empathy, with higher scores on stressful life events indirectly lowered empathy scores by negatively impacting self-esteem. Moreover, gender moderated the relationship between stressful life events and self-esteem, with higher stressful life events associated with lower self-esteem in girls than in boys. The present study revealed the role of self-esteem and gender in the relationship between stressful life events and empathy, which has important theoretical and practical significance for the prevention and intervention of social adaptation ability in LBC.

Childhood trauma and maltreatment are major global health issues with implications for flourishing and wellbeing in adulthood. Those exposed to childhood trauma are more likely to exhibit disruptive, violent and aggressive antisocial behaviors and mental health problems such as anxiety. However, little is known about the mechanisms underlying these associations. The current cross-sectional study sought to test whether adverse childhood experiences relate to risk of anxiety and antisocial behavior in adulthood. In total, 380 adult participants (M age = 41.3 ± 13.3 years; 335 women, 45 men) completed questionnaires at a single timepoint. After controlling for participant age and sex, results showed that greater exposure to childhood maltreatment was associated with a greater experience of anxiety symptoms and greater antisocial behavior, including physical aggression, social aggression, and rule breaking (with medium effect sizes). Childhood household dysfunction was also associated with greater reported rule breaking (with a medium effect size). Mediation models further showed that anxiety symptoms mediated associations between childhood maltreatment and antisocial behavior (explaining 15%–27% of the association). There were no significant sex moderation effects. These findings provide evidence that adverse childhood experiences have an important role in antisocial behavior, and that anxiety has an important connection to this association.

The rapid growth of short video platforms (e.g., TikTok, Instagram Reels) has raised concerns about their potential impact on well-being. Despite their popularity, empirical research examining the long-term effects of short video addiction (SVA) on life satisfaction remains limited, and few studies have employed longitudinal designs to explore underlying longitudinal mechanisms. This study aimed to address these gaps by examining the sequential longitudinal pathways involving loneliness and anxiety between SVA and life satisfaction. A half-longitudinal design with two waves, spaced three months apart, was utilized. Data were collected from 234 participants (Mage = 22.02). A half-longitudinal cross-lagged panel model was employed to examine temporal and directional effects. Findings indicated that SVA predicted increases in loneliness, which subsequently elevated anxiety levels, ultimately reducing life satisfaction. Cross-lagged path analyses indicated that loneliness and anxiety formed significant sequential pathways linking SVA to life satisfaction. The model fit indices are as follows: [χ2 (9, N = 234) = 33.64, χ2 /df = 3.74, p < .001; NFI = .97; IFI = .98; TLI = .93; CFI = .98; SRMR = .06]. These results highlight the cascading psychosocial consequences of excessive short video use and emphasize the importance of longitudinal approaches in digital media research. The study contributes to delineating the longitudinal mechanisms linking digital addiction to subjective well-being and provides a foundation for interventions aimed at mitigating the negative psychological effects of SVA.

Cognitive flexibility is a fundamental skill that facilitates individuals’ adaptation to changing conditions and the development of alternative strategies; however, the effect of this skill on grit and the mediating mechanisms in this relationship have not been sufficiently clarified in literature. This study aims to examine the effect of cognitive flexibility on grit among university students and the sequential mediating roles of self-efficacy and resilience in this relationship. The sample consisted of 605 undergraduate students aged 17–27 from various universities in Turkiye. Data were collected using the Cognitive Flexibility Inventory, General Self-Efficacy Scale, Brief Resilience Scale, and Short Grit Scale, and mediation analysis was performed. The findings showed that cognitive flexibility predicted grit both directly and indirectly through self-efficacy and resilience; self-efficacy and resilience functioned as mediating variables both independently and sequentially. The results reveal that cognitive flexibility, self- efficacy, and resilience collectively play a critical role in sustaining university students’ commitment to their long-term goals.

Previous research has demonstrated that perceived social mobility increases, whereas income inequality decreases, subjective well-being (SWB). Using the World Values Survey (Wave 7) data, this study examined whether national affluence moderated the effects of perceived social mobility and attitude toward income equality on individual SWB (life satisfaction and global happiness). Hierarchical linear modeling found that people who perceived greater social mobility, and those who valued incentivizing individual effort (over income equality), reported higher SWB. Moreover, national affluence moderated the effects of perceived mobility. The positive impact of perceived mobility on SWB was amplified in richer than poorer countries. The findings suggest that policies seeking to enhance well-being should focus not only on objective economic conditions but also people’s perceptions of inequality and social status. For instance, policies that bolster perceptions of social mobility (e.g., providing low-cost quality education or housing for all) could enhance SWB, but more so in wealthier countries.