新冠肺炎疫情下大学生生命意义对心理健康的保护性作用:一项追踪研究

The Protective Effect of Meaning in Life on Mental Health of College Students during COVID-19:A Longitudinal Follow-up Study

新冠肺炎疫情极大威胁了大学生的心理健康,本研究旨在探讨疫情背景下生命意义如何变化及其对大学生心理健康的保护性作用。研究1采用生命意义问卷(MLQ)对大学生样本A(N=486)和B(N=466)分别进行三次追踪,考察疫情期间生命意义的变化。研究2对样本A采用MLQ和医院焦虑抑郁量表(HADS)进行两次追踪,进一步探究生命意义对心理健康的保护性作用。结果发现:(1)疫情的发生削弱了大学生的生命意义体验和寻求;(2)疫情期间生命意义体验与焦虑、抑郁是相互影响的关系:抑郁可以削弱生命意义体验,生命意义体验对降低焦虑和抑郁具有保护性作用。研究结果为生命意义与心理健康的关系提供了纵向证据,为应对突发创伤事件后的心理健康工作提供了理论依据。

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed a significant threat to the mental well-being of Chinese college students.This study aims to explore how the mening in life changes and the longitudinal association between meaning in life and mental health in the context of COVID-19 among college students.In study 1,the Meaning of Life Questionnaire(MLQ)was employed to track two separate samples of college students,A(N=486)and B(N=466),on three occasions each.This was done to explore the changes of meaning in life during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.In study 2,utilizing MLQ and Hospital Anxiety and Dpression Scale(HADS),sample A was surveyed twice to further explore the protective effect of meaning in life on mental health.The results showed that:(1)The outbreak of COVID-19 had a diminishing effect on the search for and presence of meaning in life among college students;(2)The relationship between the presence of meaning in life and anxiety and depression is mutual influence during COVID-19,wherein depression can diminish the presence of meaning in life,and conversely,the presence of meaning in life acts protectively against anxiety and depression.The results of this study provide longitudinal evidence supporting the correlation between meaning in life and mental health.Additionally,these results establish a theoretical foundation for addressing mental health concerns following sudden traumatic events.