title: Role of virtues and perceived life stress in affecting psychological symptoms among Chinese college students.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study explored the relationship among virtues, self-perceived life stress, and psychological symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 235 undergraduates participated in the study in March 2013.
  
  
  METHODS
  The participants were recruited to complete the Life Stress Rating Scale for College Students, the Chinese Virtues Questionnaire that measures 3 virtues (relationship, vitality, and conscientiousness), and the Symptom Checklist-90.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Regression analyses indicated that the perceived stress from minor events explained approximately 35.00% of the variance of psychological symptoms. Both vitality and conscientiousness contributed to another 6.00% of psychological symptoms. Perceived stress from minor events mediated the relationship between vitality and psychological symptoms, whereas conscientiousness directly affected psychological symptoms regardless of the perceived stress level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study clarified the positive role of virtues in stressful situations among Chinese undergraduates. The results benefit the college health professionals in attending strengths of their clients in practice both in Eastern and Western countries.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Applied Social Sciences City University of Hong Kong Hong Kong , China.
authors.forename: Wenjie
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.forename: Samuel M Y
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Bowie P Y
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Siu
authors.forename: Tingting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yonghong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010465:Perception; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology*; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities / Q000639:trends; D028722:Virtues; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: mediator; perceived stress; psychological symptoms; virtues