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Updated: Jun 3, 2025

A New Method for Inducing a Depression-Like Behavior in Rats
Published on: February 22, 2018
The influence of upward social comparison on social network sites on middle school students' depression: A two-wave
Mengmeng Yuan1, Yan Sun1, Yijin Wang1
1School of Psychology, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, Liaoning, China.
Abstract:
There is a lack of longitudinal data on the relationship between upward social comparison on social network sites (SNSs) and depression and its underlying mechanisms. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the relationship between upward social comparison on social network sites and depression and analyze the mediating effects of self-concept clarity and self-esteem in this relationship. We employed a two-wave longitudinal design among 1179 Chinese middle school students. The results indicated that : upward social comparison on SNSs predicted middle school students' depression; Self-concept clarity and self-esteem sequentially mediated the relationship between upward social comparison on SNSs and middle school students' subsequent depression. These results suggested that three types of interventions could be effectively used to decrease the risk of depression among middle school students.
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