In the past, the shift in career patterns and the unprecedented disruptions caused by events such as COVID-19 have posed notable challenges for job seekers. This holds particularly true for college students who are preparing to enter the workforce. In this context, enhancing career adaptability plays a vital role in shaping their career development. The primary objective of this research was to investigate the relationship between career education skills and career adaptability among 273 undergraduate students in China. Additionally, the study aimed to explore the mediating effect of career decision-making self-efficacy in shaping this relationship. The findings of the correlation analysis indicate a significant positive correlation between career education skills and career adaptability. Moreover, the results of the mediation model revealed that career education skills significantly contribute to improving career adaptability along with the mediating effect of college students’ self-efficacy in making career decisions. This study suggests that universities should prioritize the development and expansion of career education initiatives. They should not only help establish clear career goals for college students but also cultivate a positive and flexible career outlook to assist them in better adapting to various changes that may arise throughout their career journeys.

Self-rated health is a comprehensive indicator reflecting an individual’s subjective assessment of their overall health status. The health condition of students in elite universities is directly related to the quality of talent reserves and the long-term development of the country. However, the multiple challenges they face make them prone to subhealth issues. To understand and effectively intervene in the health dilemmas of this group from a psychological perspective, this study constructed a cross-lagged model to examine the potential bidirectional relationship between anxiety and self-rated health. We utilized two-wave longitudinal data from a sample of 896 undergraduate students (mean age 21.37 years, 60.27% male, 92.08% Han nationality) from five elite universities in Beijing, China. Anxiety was measured using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales, while self-rated health was assessed via a single-item score. The study revealed that during the two survey periods, the anxiety levels of elite university students decreased (7.682/7.462), whereas their self-rated health scores increased (81.781/83.255). Higher levels of anxiety were significantly associated with lower levels of self-rated health in both the concurrent and cross-lagged analyses (r = −0.299~−0.173, p < 0.01). Prior anxiety could predict later self-rated health (β = −0.081, p < 0.05), but the reverse path from self-rated health to anxiety was not confirmed. Our findings indicate that anxiety among elite university students has a unidirectional prospective effect on self-rated health. On the basis of these findings, universities should integrate mental health services into their routine work systems, and students should also increase their sense of personal responsibility for their own health, actively seeking effective pathways to improve their physical and mental well-being.

As early career researchers, postdocs play an irreplaceable and crucial role in scientific research, especially in highly competitive fields. Given the importance of the postdoc community, it is essential to explore their engagement in the academic labor market. Employment in academic departments should be the ideal career choice for postdocs, but this is not always the case. In recent years, an increasing number of postdocs have chosen to leave the ivory tower, which is often the result of a dynamic integration of the work environment and individual cognition. This study is based on the public data from the “Nature 2023 Postdoc Survey” and empirically analyzes the predictive relationship between different dimensions of environmental perception and postdoc academic career choices, as well as whether there are differences in predictive relationships across various fields. Difference analysis suggested that males and those working in their native country tend to have greater satisfaction in their environment perception. Correlation analysis revealed that postdocs’ environmental perception is significantly and positively correlated with academic career choices. Regression results indicated that institutional environment, organizational environment, living environment, and support environment can all predict postdoc academic career choices, with significant disciplinary differences in these predictive effects. It is recommended that mental health, salary and benefits, job security, and professional training be focused on to improve the working environment for early career researchers. Additionally, it is necessary to increase inclusive support for vulnerable postdoc groups and enhance their expectations for academic careers.

During the critical life transition of higher education, academic performance and mental health are two key factors that influence college students’ personal growth and future career development. Notably, there is ongoing debate regarding whether a bidirectional relationship exists between academic performance and mental health, and existing research lacks longitudinal evidence from students in China’s elite universities. As key indicators of mental health, the dynamic relationship between depression, subjective well-being, and academic performance warrants further investigation. This study utilizes data from two waves of the Beijing College Students Panel Survey, a large-scale longitudinal study of university students in Beijing that was launched in 2009. Using a sample of 874 students from five elite universities in Beijing, China, the study employed a cross-lagged model to examine the longitudinal bidirectional relationship between depression, subjective well-being and academic performance. The results show that academic performance is negatively correlated with depression and positively correlated with subjective well-being. Cross-lagged analysis further indicates that prior academic performance can predict subsequent depression (β = −0.066, p < 0.1) and subjective well-being (β = 0.082, p < 0.05), but there is insufficient evidence for the reverse predictive relationship (p > 0.1). These findings suggest that, for students in China’s elite universities, academic performance is a significant antecedent of subsequent mental health status. The conclusions emphasize the importance of enhancing academic support in elite universities to promote mental health and provide empirical evidence for constructing a collaborative support system that integrates academic and psychological aspects, as well as health communication strategies for behavioral change.