Peer-reviewed article
From Academic Disillusionment to Generalized Anxiety: A Cognitive-Behavioral Perspective
Tairan Tang ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-sonnet-5-5This study looked at whether Chinese high school students' belief that school success comes from effort and ability (belief in school meritocracy) is linked to generalized anxiety. It surveyed 324 students from two secondary schools in Chongqing about this belief, loneliness, depression and anxiety. Students with stronger belief in school meritocracy reported less loneliness, depression and anxiety. The link between the belief and anxiety was explained by loneliness and depression. The authors suggest social support and separating academic achievement from students' sense of self-worth may matter.
Key points
- Students with higher belief in school meritocracy reported lower loneliness, depression and generalized anxiety.
- Belief in school meritocracy significantly predicted lower depression and anxiety after adjusting for gender and only-child status.
- The relationship between belief in school meritocracy and anxiety was fully mediated by loneliness and depression.
- Three significant indirect pathways were found: via loneliness, via depression, and via loneliness then depression.
- The authors point to the importance of social support and of disconnecting academic achievement from students' sense of self-worth.
Limitations
The study is cross-sectional and based on 324 students from two schools in one city, so it cannot show cause and effect or be assumed to apply to all Chinese students. The abstract does not describe how the measures were taken beyond questionnaires, so self-report issues cannot be assessed.
Abstract
Belief in school meritocracy (BSM)—the belief that students' academic success is primarily determined by their effort and ability—may provide pupils with a sense of control and psychological stability. However, such a sense can be undermined if what students experience does not match their meritocratic expectations, which could contribute to poorer psychological outcomes. The study investigated the association between BSM and generalized anxiety among Chinese high school students and specifically examined if loneliness and depression mediated this association. A cross-sectional correlational study was conducted with 324 students from 2 secondary schools in Chongqing, China, who completed questionnaires on BSM, loneliness, depression and generalized anxiety. Analyzes were: Pearson correlations, linear regression and bootstrap tests of mediation. Students with higher BSM levels reported lower loneliness, depression, and generalized anxiety. BSM was a significant negative predictor of depression and anxiety after adjusting for gender and only-child status. Mediation analysis revealed that the relationship between BSM and generalized anxiety was fully mediated by loneliness and depression. Three significant indirect pathways were identified: BSM via loneliness to anxiety, BSM via depression to anxiety, and a sequential pathway from BSM to loneliness to depression to anxiety. It implies that school meritocratic beliefs may be linked to students' psychological well-being through both social and emotional pathways. Specifically, loneliness and depression may be important mediators between students' beliefs about academic success and their anxiety. Findings demonstrate the significance of social support and disconnecting academic achievement from students' sense of self-worth.