Longitudinal effects of academic stress on life satisfaction in Chinese adolescents: A moderated mediation model

Xin Liu, Yaoyao Zhang, Fang Ran, Jinyi Zeng and Yanling Liu

Children and Youth Services Review, 2026, vol. 180, issue C

Abstract: Although previous research has demonstrated a close association between academic stress and adolescents’ life satisfaction, longitudinal evidence on this relationship and its underlying mechanisms remains limited, particularly within the Chinese cultural context. To address this gap, the present study employed a three-wave longitudinal design over one year, surveying 2,870 Chinese adolescents (M age = 13.88, SD = 1.52; 50.87 % girls). The results showed that baseline academic stress significantly predicted lower life satisfaction one year later, and this effect was mediated by anxiety measured at the intermediate time point. Moreover, cognitive reappraisal moderated the relationship between academic stress and anxiety: for adolescents with higher levels of cognitive reappraisal, the positive predictive effect of academic stress on anxiety was weaker, and the indirect effect through anxiety was also reduced. These findings highlight the importance of early identification and intervention targeting academic stress among Chinese adolescents, and suggest that fostering cognitive reappraisal may serve as an effective emotion regulation strategy to alleviate anxiety and promote life satisfaction.

Keywords: Academic stress; Life satisfaction; Anxiety; Cognitive reappraisal; Adolescents (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:180:y:2026:i:c:s0190740925005468

DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2025.108663

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