Shyness and depression: The mediating roles of interpersonal competence, dormitory belonging and inferiority

Fengqiang Gao, Yue Sun, Yuci Zhou, Mohan Sang, Jinzhe Zhao and Lei Han

Children and Youth Services Review, 2020, vol. 119, issue C

Abstract: Mental health plays an important role in the development of young adults. However, an increasing number of young adults experience depression. The problem of depression in young adults has attracted much attention in educational, medical and psychological circles. As a personality trait, shyness is considered a factor associated with susceptibility to depression. Therefore, this study explored the relationship between shyness and depression and the mechanism of this relationship. A total of 539 undergraduate students were tested using the Shyness Scale, Social Ability Diagnosis Scale, Dormitory Belonging Scale, Inferiority Questionnaire and Self-rating Depression Scale. We found that shyness, depression and inferiority were positively correlated; interpersonal competence was positively correlated with dormitory belonging; and shyness, depression and inferiority were negatively correlated with interpersonal competence and with dormitory belonging. Interpersonal competence, dormitory belonging and inferiority played mediating roles in the relationship between shyness and depression. This study reveals a possible mechanism of the relationship between shyness and depression in young adults and provides insights and suggestions for depression prevention and intervention for shy individuals.

Keywords: Shyness; Depression; Interpersonal competence; Dormitory belonging; Inferiority; Mediation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:119:y:2020:i:c:s0190740920319940

DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105571

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