Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 29, 2026

Assessment of Stress Effects on Cognitive Flexibility using an Operant Strategy Shifting Paradigm
Published on: May 4, 2020
Psychological Flexibility Moderates the Association Between Multidimensional Stress and Psychological Distress in
Yuan Lai1,2, Yu Gu3, Yanqi Chen4
1Graduate School, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China.
Medical students face significant stress impacting mental health. Psychological flexibility acts as a crucial buffer, mitigating the negative effects of various life stressors on their well-being.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Psychology
- Public Health
Background:
- Medical postgraduate students experience prominent mental health challenges.
- Identifying stressors and protective factors is crucial for intervention.
- Psychological flexibility's role in this demographic requires investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the moderating effect of psychological flexibility.
- To investigate the relationship between life stressors and mental health in medical postgraduates.
- To understand how psychological flexibility influences stress-mental health associations.
Main Methods:
- Multi-center cross-sectional study involving 5819 medical postgraduate students.
- Utilized measures for psychological worry, supervisory relationship, work-life balance, school support, psychological flexibility, and psychological health.
- Employed an integrative approach to analyze data.
Main Results:
- All four assessed stressors (psychological worry, supervisory relationship, work-life balance, school support) significantly impacted mental health.
- Psychological worry correlated positively with distress; other stressors correlated negatively.
- Higher psychological flexibility was linked to lower distress and weakened the association between stressors and mental health.
Conclusions:
- Different stressors affect medical postgraduate mental health through distinct pathways.
- Psychological flexibility plays a critical role in managing cognitive stress and protecting mental health.
- Findings offer implications for developing targeted psychological interventions for medical trainees.
Related Concept Videos
Psychological Responses to Stress
Introduction to Stress and Lifestyle
Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques II
Type A Personality: Driven and Easily Stressed
Individuals with Type A personalities are often highly competitive and ambitious and operate with a strong sense of urgency. Commonly labeled as...
Stress and Mental Health
Individuals with depression often experience challenges in both their personal and professional...
Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques VI
Motivation and Self-Determination
Motivation, the driving force behind behavior, plays a pivotal role at every stage of the change process. The research...
Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques III
The Role of Exercise in Stress Management
Regular physical activity is essential for reducing stress and promoting cardiovascular health. Exercise strengthens the heart, enhances blood flow, keeps blood vessels flexible, and helps lower blood pressure, all of which reduce the body's stress response. Research shows that adults who exercise regularly have nearly half the...

