Study On The Relationship Between Character Strengths And Mental Health Of Medical Students

[Objective]This study surveyed the character strengths of medical students in China,analyzed its distribution and the relationship among character strengths,life satisfaction and depression.Finally,this study intervene the medical students by using the group consultation,which was intensified with character strengths.Then we can validate the applicability of positive psychology in China mainland,although its headstream is USA.[Methods]1.Studyâ… ,224 medical students(121 undergraduates,103 graduates,87 male,131 female) were tested by Value in Action Inventory of Strengths(VIA-IS).Then,the difference between undergraduates and graduates or within the internal undergraduates and internal graduates were compared.2.Studyâ…¡,121 medical students(62 male and 59 female) were tested by VIA-IS, The Satisfaction with Life Scale(SWLS),and Center for Epidemiologic Studies -Depression(CES-D).The relationship among the character strengths,life satisfaction and depression were analyzed with partial correlation analysis.3.Studyâ…¢,70 medical students(25 male and 45 female) were brought into group counseling group(35 students) and blank control group(35 students).Concretely,the group counseling group were divided into groupâ… (4 male and 7 female),groupâ…¡(4 male and 8 female),and groupâ…¢(4 male and 8 female).We use VIA-IS,Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale(RSES),and The Self Acceptance Questionnaire(SAQ) to tested the baseline of character strengths,self-esteem and self-acceptance.Then,the group counseling group were guided with positive psychology group counseling,and retested the self-esteem and self-acceptance when the guiding was finished.Alter one month follow-up period,we retested self-esteem and self-acceptance,then compared the change.Finally,we can find out whether the positive psychology group counseling can improve the self-esteem and self-acceptance of medical students.[Results]1.The study I showed that when we compared between two groups,only Persistence,Modesty,and Perspective were different in 24 character strengths,while others were closed.And when compared within the two groups,Authenticity,Kindness, love and Fairness are the strong strengths while Creativity,Perspective,Bravery,Social and Modest are weak strengths of undergraduate.Similarly,Love,Kindness, Authenticity,Gratitude and Fairness are the strong strengths while Perspective, Creativity,Bravery,Religiousness and Self-regulation are weak strengths of graduates.2.Partial correlation analysis was used by controlling the Rural-urban household, religions,and gender,the 24 character strengths were positive correlated with life satisfaction,but negative correlated with depression.Concretely,the character strengths which most close correlated with life satisfaction were Hope,Curiosity,Love,Zest,and Perspective,the same situation,the character strengths which most close correlated with depression were Hope,Zest,Curiosity,Forgiveness,and Love.3.Variables of this study were correlated and normal distribution,so the Repeated measure analysis of variance was used.And variable of self-acceptance fit the Mauchly's sphericity test,so we use the test of within-subjects effects.But variable of self-esteem can not fit the Mauchly's sphericity test,so we use the value of Greenhouse-Geisser.The results showed that two groups' self-esteem were stable and did not change at three tests.However,the self-acceptance of group counseling group is rising with time,while the control group negative.And the difference between two groups is significant;also the time and group had Interact Effects.[Conclusion]1.The common character strengths of medical students were Authenticity,Kindness,love and Fairness,while the differences between medical undergraduate and graduates were Persistence,Modesty,and Perspective.2.Among the 24 character strengths,Hope,Curiosity,Love,Perspective and Zest are consistently and robustly associated with life satisfaction;Hope,Zest,Curiosity, Forgiveness and Love are consistently and robustly associated with depression.The educator should focus on training Hope,Curiosity,Zest and Love.3.Positive psychological group counseling of strengthen character strengths can boost graduates' self-acceptance.We can draw the conclusion from this study that positive psychology is not only applicable to USA but also China.We can use positive psychology to improve self-acceptance at lest among graduate students and improve the mental health status.