Jin Ruining, Yin Meiling, Shen Qiang, Le Tam-Tri
Civil, Commercial and Economic Law School, China University of Political Science and Law, Beijing, 100088, China.
China-EU School of Law, China University of Political Science and Law, Beijing, 100088, China.
BMC Public Health. 2024 Dec 27;24(1):3596. doi: 10.1186/s12889-024-21162-9.
The mental health of Chinese international student returnees is a critical concern impacting their well-being and successful reintegration into home society, especially in the post-COVID-19 era. This study examines how beliefs about changing living conditions, emigration intentions, and belief in fate influence depression levels among these returnees.
A cross-sectional survey collected data from 1,014 returnees through WeChat public groups. Depression levels were measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and Bayesian analysis with Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithms was employed for statistical examination.
It was found that a stronger belief that changing one's living environment can bring happiness is associated with lower depression levels, highlighting the positive role of agency thinking in mental health. This association is moderated by emigration intentions and belief in fate. Specifically, among returnees who believe that changing living conditions enhances happiness, those with stronger intentions to emigrate from China exhibited lower depression levels, while those with a strong belief in fate showed higher depression levels.
These results suggest that both agency and pathway thinking significantly affect the mental health of returnees. To support their well-being and reintegration, we recommend that policymakers create more diverse and inclusive environments within China that accommodate returnees' aspirations. Educational institutions should offer counseling services that bolster returnees' proactive strategies for achieving personal goals. Additionally, mental health interventions should address cultural beliefs, such as fatalism, which might hinder proactive coping mechanisms.
中国留学生归国人员的心理健康是一个关键问题，影响着他们的幸福感以及成功融入国内社会，尤其是在新冠疫情后的时代。本研究探讨了关于生活条件变化的信念、移民意愿和命运信念如何影响这些归国人员的抑郁水平。
一项横断面调查通过微信公众号群组从1014名归国人员中收集数据。使用患者健康问卷9（PHQ - 9）测量抑郁水平，并采用马尔可夫链蒙特卡罗（MCMC）算法的贝叶斯分析进行统计检验。
研究发现，更强烈地相信改变生活环境能带来幸福与较低的抑郁水平相关，凸显了能动思维在心理健康中的积极作用。这种关联受到移民意愿和命运信念的调节。具体而言，在那些认为改变生活条件能提升幸福感的归国人员中，有更强意愿从中国移民的人抑郁水平较低，而那些强烈相信命运的人抑郁水平较高。
这些结果表明，能动思维和路径思维都显著影响归国人员的心理健康。为了支持他们的幸福和重新融入，我们建议政策制定者在中国创造更多样化和包容性的环境，以满足归国人员的愿望。教育机构应提供咨询服务，增强归国人员实现个人目标的积极策略。此外，心理健康干预应解决可能阻碍积极应对机制的文化信念，如宿命论。
