The Relationship Between Negative Life Events And Depression Among Junior High School Students: The Mediating Role Of Upward Counterfactual Thinking And The Moderating Role Of Self-estee

Adolescents in middle school not only face drastic changes from their bodies,but also have to deal with their own emotional needs and cope with various interpersonal and academic pressures,which can easily lead to various psychological problems.Depression,as a common psychological problem with high negative impact among middle school students,has increasingly become the focus of researchers’ attention.In this study,based on the cognitive susceptibility-stress theory,quality-stress theory and depressive self-esteem theory of depression,the relationship between negative life events and depression in junior high school students and the possible mechanisms of action were explored in depth.The study used scale tests to measure the relevant indicators of a total of 861 students in the first and second grades in one school in Shaoxing City by using the Negative Life Events Scale,Counterfactual Thinking Scale,Self-Esteem Scale,and Flow Center Depression Scale to understand the current status of negative life events,upward counterfactual thinking,self-esteem,and depression in middle school students and to explore the differences and relationships among the variables.The main findings were as follows: 1)there were significant correlations between negative life events,upward counterfactual thinking,self-esteem and depression levels of junior high school students;2)negative life events could positively predict junior high school students’ upward counterfactual thinking and depression levels;upward counterfactual thinking could positively predict their depression levels;self-esteem could negatively predict their depression levels;3)Upward counterfactual thinking partially mediates the relationship between negative life events and depression in junior high school students,while self-esteem moderates the relationship between upward counterfactual thinking and depression.In summary,this study concludes that the factors that influence the occurrence of depression in middle school students are not only external negative life events,but also internal factors,such as higher levels of upward counterfactual thinking and lower levels of self-esteem.Schools and families should pay sufficient attention to students’ cognitive styles and personality traits to counteract the negative effects of negative life events on middle school students’ mental health by raising self-esteem and reducing upward counterfactual thinking.