Buffering Effect of Perseverance and Meditation on Depression among Medical Students Experiencing Negative Family Climate

Abstract

Background and objective: Thirty percent of Thai medical students experienced depression. Two of the crucial factors related to depression involved borderline personality disorder symptoms and adverse family experiences, while positive strengths were documented to prevent depression. This study aimed to investigate the role of perseverance and meditation on depression; Methods: Two hundred and forty−three medical student participants completed the following measurements: the core symptom index (CSI−D) to measure depression, the family climate questionnaire to measure family experience, the personality disorder questionnaire to measure borderline personality disorder symptoms, and the inner strength−based inventory to measure perseverance and meditation. In the analysis, depression served as an outcome, adverse family climate as a predictor and borderline personality disorder symptoms as a mediator. In contrast, perseverance and meditation were moderators in the mediation model. Mediation and moderation analysis using PROCESS was applied for testing the direct and indirect effects; Results: Among all, 49.38% were male, and the mean age was 22.76 years. Borderline personality disorder symptoms significantly mediated the relationship between adverse family climate and depression, B = 0.0608 (95%CI, 0.0301 to 0.1052). The variance explained by the mediation model was 43%. Meditation moderated the relationship between adverse family climate and borderline personality symptoms, whereas perseverance and meditation were found to be significant moderators for borderline personality disorder symptoms and depression. With two moderators in the mediation model, the indirect effect index was B = 0.0072 (95%CI, 0.0002 to 0.0160). The 49% of variances of depression were explained by the moderated mediation model; Conclusion: Borderline personality disorder symptoms are a crucial variable involving depression. Meditation practice has been demonstrated to be a buffer between negative family climate to borderline personality disorder symptoms and depressive symptoms, whereas perseverance buffers the effect of borderline personality disorder symptoms of depression. Further research on cultivating meditation and perseverance should be encouraged among those with negative family experiences.

Psychometric Property of the Chinese Version of the Core Symptom Index: A Study Among Chinese Parents of Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders

“…It is to be noted that most of the items are from somatization; even though the Thai and Chinese share similar cultures, the responses to somatization symptoms in both samples differed. The related studies showed that somatization symptoms measured by the same CSI were significantly lower in Thai compared to in Chinese samples (mean ± SD was 1.04 ± 2.7 for Thai and 4.38 ± 4.32 for Chinese, t (534) = 10.38, p <.001), respectively [15,16]. While we can use CSI despite non-achieved scalar invariance, researchers must be mindful of its limitations and caution in its interpretation and application, particularly in cross-group comparisons.…”

“…The CSI has been used in various populations and settings, including the general population, older residents in long-term care facilities, clinical outpatients, late adolescents, and adults [15][16][17][18][19]. The CSI has shown that the bifactor model fits best with the Thai older sample.…”

Moderating Effect of Variables Associated with Positive Mental Health in a Mediation Model on Depression among College Students: Protocol for a Longitudinal Study

“…The Family Climate Questionnaire (FCQ) is a unidimensional outcome measure comprising 64 items and was designed to assess emotions related to family climate. The FCQ measures eight emotional dimensions, with four representing positive climates (i.e., warm/relaxing, assisting/helping, vivacious/fun/enjoyable, and sensitive/empathic) and four representing negative climates (i.e., overinvolved/controlling, ignoring/distant, chaotic/disorganized, and lonesome) [ 16 ]. Each dimension consists of eight questions, with a 5-point Likert scale (1 = not at all, 2 = some, 3 = often, 4 = almost always).…”

“…A previous study presented a mediation model of depression in medical students, highlighting the impact of adverse family climate on depression. Borderline personality disorder symptoms were identified as a mediator in this relationship [ 16 ]. Additionally, the study authors found that the relationship was moderated by inner strengths, such as meditation and perseverance.…”