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. 2023 Apr 6:14:1100355.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1100355. eCollection 2023.

Effects of interpersonal sensitivity on depressive symptoms in postgraduate students during the COVID-19 pandemic: Psychological capital and sleep quality as mediators

Xin Liu #  1   2 , Lixin Peng #  2 , Zhen Wang  2 , Ping Zeng  3 , Yanyan Mi  1 , Haibo Xu  1   2
Affiliations

Effects of interpersonal sensitivity on depressive symptoms in postgraduate students during the COVID-19 pandemic: Psychological capital and sleep quality as mediators

Xin Liu et al. Front Psychiatry. .

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to examine depressive symptoms associated with interpersonal sensitivity, sleep quality, and psychological capital among postgraduate students during static campus management after the COVID-19 pandemic in China.

Methods: Research data were obtained during static campus management (10-19 April 2022) after the reappearance of COVID-19 in cities in eastern China. We collected data through an online questionnaire, and the anonymous self-reported questionnaire included the Patient Health Questionnaire, the interpersonal sensitivity subscale of Symptom Checklist-90, the Psychological Capital Questionnaire, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. analysis of variance was performed using t-test and ANOVA. The PROCESS macro was used to determine the relationship between interpersonal sensitivity and depression, together with the independent and serial mediating role of psychological capital and sleep quality.

Results: A total of 2,554 postgraduate students were included in this study. The prevalence of mild, moderate, and severe depressive symptoms was 30.97, 6.58, and 1.45%, respectively. Interpersonal sensitivity was significantly associated with depressive symptoms (direct effect = 0.183, p < 0.001). Between interpersonal sensitivity and depressive symptoms, psychological capital and sleep quality played a single mediating role (indirect effect = 0.136 and 0.100, p < 0.001, respectively) and a chain mediating role together (indirect effect = 0.066, p < 0.001).

Conclusion: Interpersonal sensitivity has a significant influence on depression among Chinese graduate students. Psychological capital and sleep quality may not only independently mediate the relationship between interpersonal sensitivity and depression, but also co-play a chain-mediating role in the pathway from interpersonal sensitivity to depression. Positive psychological interventions and sleep guidance may be beneficial in alleviating depressive symptoms.

Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic; depressive symptoms; interpersonal sensitivity; psychological capital; sleep quality.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
The chained mediation models. In this figure, the independent variable is interpersonal sensitivity (IS), the dependent variable is depression (Dep), and the mediators are psychological capital (PsyCap) and sleep quality (SQ).
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
The characteristics of models. In this figure, psychological capital (PsyCap) as an independent mediator of the model (A); sleep quality (SQ) as an independent mediator of the model (B); psychological capital (PsyCap) and sleep quality (SQ) jointly play a mediating role of the chain mediation model (C). ***p < 0.001.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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