To advance the understanding about social-cognitive factors related to Chinese adolescents’ experience with problematic Internet use (PIU), we examined the associations between social-emotional learning (SEL) competencies (i.e., responsible decision-making, social awareness, self-management, self-awareness, and social relationship) and problematic Internet use (PIU) among 1141 11th grade high school students from Southwest China. Through comparing the latent means of PIU across students with different demographic background (i.e., gender, social-economic status, left-behind status), the study found that male students endorsed higher levels of overall PIU and more problematic time management with Internet use than female students. No latent PIU mean differences were observed across family income and students’ left-behind status. Using structural equation modeling (SEM) while controlling for demographic factors, overall SEL competencies were found to have a significantly negative association with PIU. Meanwhile, all five SEL domains were also negatively associated with students’ PIU. The findings imply the importance of fostering SEL competencies in preventing PIU among Chinese adolescents. The study provides important practical implications for informing school-based SEL competencies programs for PIU prevention among Chinese youths.

To advance our scientific understanding about school climate and bullying victimization from the perspectives of both parents and cross-country comparisons, the present study examined the cross-country similarities and differences of the associations between overall school climate and 3 forms of bullying victimization between United States (U.S.; N = 1,251) and Chinese (N = 999) parents across elementary, middle, and high schools. Confirmatory factor analyses and measurement invariance tests were first conducted to examine the cross-country validity of the Delaware Bullying Victimization Survey-Home (DBVS-H) between U.S. and Chinese parents. Comparison of latent means of bullying victimization revealed that U.S. parents reported higher frequencies of social/relational and verbal bullying victimization compared with Chinese parents. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was then used to examine the cross-country differences of the relationship between school climate and bullying victimization. For parents in both China and the U.S., school climate was found to be significantly associated with 3 types of bullying victimization (i.e., physical, verbal, and social/relational). The negative associations between school climate and all 3 types of bullying victimization reported by U.S. parents were significantly stronger than those found in Chinese parents. Implications for bullying prevention efforts involving parents from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds were discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) is a global public health concern that is detrimental to the psychological outcomes of Chinese children in rural areas due to the lack of public awareness of ACEs and mental health resources. The objective of this study was to identify the patterns of ACEs and the impact of ACE patterns on depression and suicidal ideation among 4683 students (mean age = 10.08 years, SD = 0.99; 48.17% female students) from 63 elementary schools in rural areas in Guizhou Province, China. Latent class analysis was conducted to identify the best class pattern. A three-step approach was undertaken to explore the association between the class patterns and demographic covariates and depression and suicidal thoughts. An overall three-class pattern of ACEs was identified, which was: (1) high ACEs, (2) high verbal abuse and emotional neglect and low household dysfunction, and (3) low ACEs. The results also showed that children in the high ACEs class tended to show higher depression rates and more frequent suicidal ideation across the three groups. Being female and younger and having a lower socioeconomic status were risk factors. Our study identified a class pattern that was not found in previous research, which is high verbal abuse and emotional neglect and low household dysfunction.

With the recognition of positive psychology within China, there is a pressing need for evidence-based positive psychology interventions (PPIs) tailored to the cultural context of Chinese schools. The goals of the present study were to (a) culturally adapt the Well-Being Promotion Program using the ecological validity model and (b) conduct a preliminary evaluation of its effectiveness. Within a randomized controlled trial, we collected data from 107 eighth-grade students randomly assigned to the intervention (n = 55) or control group (n = 52). A mixed methods approach was used, with analysis of covariance to assess program effectiveness, and content analyses of students' short-answer responses collected from the intervention group. Qualitatively, more than half of students reported having positive feelings and an increase in happiness due to the program. Quantitatively, the study found that the intervention was associated with a significant increase in adaptability, a subcategory of psychological suzhi, following the intervention. Gender breakdown revealed that the intervention had a significant positive effect on boys' cognitive quality, but not girls'. Additionally, it marginally impacted girls' self-management and boys' adaptability quality. However, caution is warranted in interpreting the quantitative results due to limitations, such as a small sample size and a relatively low response rate at Time 2. This pilot study contributes to the literature by bridging the gap between evidence-based PPIs developed in Western contexts and their culturally responsive implementation in Chinese schools. Consequently, the results should be considered as initial evidence warranting further examination of effectiveness, yet with significant potential to advance future cultural adaptations of PPIs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).