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      The Influence of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress on Ageism Among Undergraduates: Mediating Roles of Life Satisfaction, Gratitude, and Prosociality

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          Abstract

          Background

          The rapid growth of the global aging population highlights the need to address ageism and promote social inclusiveness. While considerable research has explored the impact of perceived ageism on older adults’ mental health, limited attention has been given to how negative mental health factors—such as depression, anxiety, and stress (DAS)—influence ageist attitudes among younger populations, along with the psychological mechanisms underlying this relationship.

          Purpose

          This study first investigates the prevalence of ageism among undergraduates and its variation across certain socio-demographic factors at the research site. It then examines the predictive effects of depression, anxiety, and stress (DAS) on ageism, accounting for these socio-demographic factors. Finally, the study explores how DAS influences ageism both directly and indirectly through life satisfaction, gratitude, and prosociality.

          Design and Settings

          A cross-sectional study conducted at 11 higher education institutions in Jiangxi, China.

          Participants

          A total of 1,213 undergraduates participated in the study between July and August 2024. Following data cleaning, 1174 responses were included for analysis.

          Methods

          Data were collected using online questionnaires. T-tests and ANOVA assessed socio-demographic differences in ageism, and regression analysis examined DAS’s predictive effects. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) explored the pathways linking DAS to ageism via mediators.

          Results

          A moderate level of ageism was observed, with significant variations across socio-demographic factors like academic year, physical health, and contact with older adults. Depression and stress directly predicted ageism, while anxiety had indirect effects via depression and stress. DAS—as a composite construct—indirectly affected ageism via life satisfaction, gratitude, and prosociality.

          Conclusion

          Educational interventions should not only target the reduction of ageist attitudes but also address the underlying mental health conditions that fuel these biases. Promoting life satisfaction, gratitude, and prosociality, along with fostering meaningful intergenerational interactions, will be crucial for developing more effective strategies to combat ageism.

          Plain Language Summary

          Our study investigated how psychological factors like depression, anxiety, and stress (DAS) affect undergraduates’ attitudes toward older adults, particularly ageism—a form of prejudice against older individuals. While previous research has often focused on how ageism negatively impacts older adults’ mental health, few studies have looked at whether the mental health of young people plays a role in shaping these attitudes.

          To investigate this, we surveyed undergraduate students from 11 higher education institutions in Jiangxi Province, China. We examined how DAS is related to ageist attitudes and whether positive traits, such as life satisfaction, gratitude, and prosociality (the tendency to help others), could lessen the negative influence of DAS on ageism.

          Our findings show that students with higher levels of depression, anxiety, or stress are more likely to hold negative views about older adults. However, positive traits like gratitude, life satisfaction, and prosociality—as well as meaningful interactions with older adults—appear to soften or reduce the harmful effects of DAS on ageism.

          These results suggest that improving mental health, fostering positive traits, and facilitating quality interactions between young and older generations could be effective strategies for reducing ageism. This research has important implications for educational programs aimed at promoting respect and empathy across generations.

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          Most cited references87

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            G*Power is a free power analysis program for a variety of statistical tests. We present extensions and improvements of the version introduced by Faul, Erdfelder, Lang, and Buchner (2007) in the domain of correlation and regression analyses. In the new version, we have added procedures to analyze the power of tests based on (1) single-sample tetrachoric correlations, (2) comparisons of dependent correlations, (3) bivariate linear regression, (4) multiple linear regression based on the random predictor model, (5) logistic regression, and (6) Poisson regression. We describe these new features and provide a brief introduction to their scope and handling.
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                Author and article information

                Journal
                Psychol Res Behav Manag
                Psychol Res Behav Manag
                prbm
                Psychology Research and Behavior Management
                Dove
                1179-1578
                18 January 2025
                2025
                : 18
                : 119-137
                Affiliations
                [1 ]School of International Education, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University , Nanchang, Jiangxi, People’s Republic of China
                [2 ]Department of General Education, Jiangxi Youth Vocational College , Nanchang, Jiangxi, People’s Republic of China
                Author notes
                Correspondence: Se Chen, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University , 589 Xuefu Avenue, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, 330038, People’s Republic of China, Tel +0086 – 18679059130, Email chense063@foxmail.com
                Author information
                http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4965-537X
                Article
                497371
                10.2147/PRBM.S497371
                11752929
                39845723
                65a0e7a6-8c08-4aa2-98ba-b438023a22ce
                © 2025 Chen and Wan.

                This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution – Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/). By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms ( https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php).

                History
                : 01 October 2024
                : 08 January 2025
                Page count
                Figures: 2, Tables: 5, References: 98, Pages: 19
                Funding
                Funded by: Doctoral Research Fund of Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University;
                This work was funded by the Doctoral Research Fund of Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University (No. 2021BSQD06).
                Categories
                Original Research

                Clinical Psychology & Psychiatry
                mental health,ageism,life satisfaction,gratitude,prosociality,undergraduates

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