Personal value orientations as mediated predictors of mental health: A three-culture study of Chinese, Russian, and German university students

Abstract

Previous studies of traditional and modern value orientations in individuals found mediated predictive relationships of these values on particular mental disorders. The aim of this study with samples from three countries (Germany, Russia, and China) is to extend findings on mental health (MH) and value orientations to broader MH indicators and two types of mediators, i.e. social support and resilience in accordance to a theory of values and modernization/postmodernization. The multisite study was conducted in the three countries. A path-model with traditional values predicting MH mediated by social support, and modern values predicting MH mediated by resilience was tested in all three countries. As expected, value orientations were for the most part strongest in China, followed by Russia and Germany. Structural equation modeling supported the assumption of mediated prediction of MH by value orientations by and large. The traditional value benevolence predicts social support whereas the modern value self-direction predicts resilience. Value orientations are a sensitive tool to empirically describe cross-cultural differences. The findings indicate that personal value orientations are meaningful predictors of MH. The analysis of personal values shows promise in linking public health, cross-cultural and modernization issues.

Well-Being: An Important Concept for Psychotherapy and Psychiatric Neuroscience

“…Some American authors idealize eudaimonic world views at the expense of hedonic ones, which is consistent with puritan ethics. However, hedonism has been shown to be among the most relevant correlates of well-being in Europe and China [35]. On average, Italians live longer than most of the rest of the world, including Americans.…”

Chinese Taoist Cognitive Therapy for Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety in Adults in China: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…In addition, the disparities between different traditional values of a given community are much smaller than differences across nations. Even in China today, when Chinese cultures interweave with Western cultures and traditional values collide with modern values, traditional values are more pronounced in China compared with western countries (Maercker et al, 2015) and Taoism still have impact on behaviors and mental health of most Chinese people regardless of age and different experience (Yip, 2004;Wenzel-Teuber and Strait, 2012). Specifically, the older generation may be more apt to Taoistic coping style; while the younger generation, who considers Chinese culture as the priority culture, may shift between different value systems (Yip, 2004).…”

“…Stage 2: Value systems and ways of thinking of patients are revealed in the second stage. Value systems, the proscriptive and prescriptive belief, determine behaviors and attitudes preferred by individuals (Maercker et al, 2015). Specifically, personal values that are entangled with Abnormal thinking can be exposed by observations or special interviewing skills such as laddering in the interview as well.…”

Types of Personal Values in the Continuum of Unrealisability–Realisability of their Meaning

“…Predominantly the following, content based sides of value-meaning regulation are investigated in psychology: the hierarchy of values and valuable orientations (Rokeach, 1973;Schwartz, 1994), structure and content of values (Cieciuch & Schwartz, 2012;Cieciuch et al, 2014), the correlation of values with the meaning of life (Dezutter et al, 2014), mental states (Prokhorov, 2009), health and well-being (Brassai et al, 2011;Maercker et al, 2015).…”