Present Focus Moderated the Relationship Between Academic Stress, Self-Stigma, and Anxiety Level: A Longitudinal...

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Educational Psychology
• Mental Health

Background:

• Academic stress, self-stigma, and anxiety are significant concerns for high school students, particularly those with learning difficulties (LDs).
• Understanding the temporal dynamics and interplay between these factors is crucial for developing effective interventions.
• The moderating role of present focus in these relationships remains underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the reciprocal temporal relationships between academic stress, self-stigma, and anxiety levels in high school students.
• To examine the moderating effect of present focus on these relationships among students with learning difficulties (LDs) and students with excellent performance.
• To elucidate the dynamic patterns of anxiety and its predictors in adolescent populations.

Main Methods:

• A longitudinal study design involving 3000 senior high school students in Liaoning, China.
• Measurement of academic stress, self-stigma, anxiety level, and present focus at two time points (T1 and T2, 5 weeks apart).
• Structural equation modeling (SEM) and cross-lagged analyses were employed on samples of 735 students with LDs and 733 students with excellent performance.

Main Results:

• Among students with LDs, anxiety at T1 positively predicted academic stress and self-stigma at T2. Self-stigma at T1 also predicted anxiety at T2.
• Among students with excellent performance, academic stress at T1 predicted anxiety at T2, and anxiety at T1 predicted academic stress and self-stigma at T2.
• High present focus at T2 significantly moderated the relationship between academic stress at T1 and anxiety at T2 among students with LDs.

Conclusions:

• Anxiety, academic stress, and self-stigma exhibit complex temporal interrelationships, varying between students with LDs and those with excellent performance.
• Present focus plays a significant moderating role in the academic stress-anxiety pathway for students with LDs.
• Findings underscore the need for targeted interventions addressing anxiety, academic stress, and self-stigma, considering individual differences and present focus.