IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v16y2024i17p7680-d1471207.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Green Mind and Mental Health among Chinese College Students: A Chain Mediating Model of Eco-Generativity

Author

Listed:
  • Haoran Wang

    (Office of the CPC Committee, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China)

Abstract

Education can be considered a key element in reaching the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through ecological and social generativity specifically among young generations. This study explores the intricate relationships between ecological generativity, social generativity, environmental identity, agency, and their collective impact on the mental health of Chinese college students. Employing a cross-sectional design, the research enlisted a cohort of 2439 undergraduate students, aged between 18 and 23 years, from various universities in China. Utilizing validated instruments such as the Ecological Generativity Scale, Social Generativity Scale, revised Environmental Identity Scale (IED-R), and the Agency/Pathways dimension of the Eco-Generativity Scale-Short Form, alongside the Positive Mental Health Scale for mental health assessment, this study conducted correlational and mediational analyses to test four hypotheses. The results robustly supported the first hypothesis, establishing ecological generativity as a significant predictor of mental health, underscoring the vital role of environmental stewardship in enhancing personal well-being. Further analysis confirmed the positive relationships between ecological generativity and both social generativity and environmental identity (Hypothesis 2), illustrating how engagement in ecological preservation efforts fosters social cohesion and a deep-seated environmental connectedness. The verification of Hypothesis 3 highlighted the contributory roles of ecological generativity, social generativity, and environmental identity in empowering students with a sense of agency. Additionally, the complex interplay among these constructs, as detailed in the examination of Hypothesis 4, revealed a multifaceted mechanism through which they collectively influence mental health, with agency serving as a pivotal mediator. The study concludes by emphasizing the importance of integrating environmental consciousness into educational paradigms to promote ecological generativity, foster environmental identity, and empower students with a sense of agency. It recommends the development of interventions and educational programs aimed at enhancing mental well-being among college students, thereby contributing to a more sustainable and socially responsible future. This research not only adds to the growing body of literature on ecological generativity and mental health but also proposes practical implications for educational policy and practice.

Suggested Citation

  • Haoran Wang, 2024. "Green Mind and Mental Health among Chinese College Students: A Chain Mediating Model of Eco-Generativity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-20, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:17:p:7680-:d:1471207
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/17/7680/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/17/7680/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Justus Enninga & Ryan M. Yonk, 2023. "Achieving Ecological Reflexivity: The Limits of Deliberation and the Alternative of Free-Market-Environmentalism," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-14, April.
    2. Silin Liu & Lei Luo, 2023. "A Study on the Impact of Ideological and Political Education of Ecological Civilization on College Students’ Willingness to Act Pro-Environment: Evidence from China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-17, January.
    3. Matteo Innocenti & Gabriele Santarelli & Gaia Surya Lombardi & Lorenzo Ciabini & Doris Zjalic & Mattia Di Russo & Chiara Cadeddu, 2023. "How Can Climate Change Anxiety Induce Both Pro-Environmental Behaviours and Eco-Paralysis? The Mediating Role of General Self-Efficacy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-10, February.
    4. Gregori, Patrick & Holzmann, Patrick & Wdowiak, Malgorzata A., 2021. "For the sake of nature: Identity work and meaningful experiences in environmental entrepreneurship," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 488-501.
    5. Denise D. Guastello & Stephen J. Guastello & Jeralee M. Briggs, 2014. "Parenting Style and Generativity Measured in College Students and Their Parents," SAGE Open, , vol. 4(1), pages 21582440135, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ankica Kosic & Paola Passafaro & Martina Molinari, 2024. "Predicting Pro-Environmental Behaviours in the Public Sphere: Comparing the Influence of Social Anxiety, Self-Efficacy, Global Warming Awareness and the NEP," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-14, October.
    2. Patrick Gregori & Patrick Holzmann, 2022. "Entrepreneurial practices and the constitution of environmental value for sustainability," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(7), pages 3302-3317, November.
    3. Rai, Arpana & Kim, Minseo & Singh, Sanjay Kumar, 2023. "Meaningful work from ethics perspective: Examination of ethical antecedents and outcomes of meaningful work," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    4. Ritu Arora, 2023. "Intellectual Structure of Parenting Style Research: A Bibliometric Analysis," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(2), pages 21582440231, April.
    5. Rajoana, Jakia & Saxena, Gunjan, 2022. "Role of Sundarbans bagh bidhwa entrepreneurs in tourism," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    6. Edoardo Thomas Alfonso Maria Eichberg & Aurelie Charles, 2024. "The Role of the Civic University in Facilitating Inclusive and Transformative Pedagogical Approaches to the Sustainable Development Goals: A Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(7), pages 1-26, March.
    7. Gliga, Gabriela & Evers, Natasha, 2023. "Marketing capability development through networking – An entrepreneurial marketing perspective," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    8. Arslan, Ahmad & Ahokangas, Petri & Haapanen, Lauri & Golgeci, Ismail & Tarba, Shlomo Y. & Bazel-Shoham, Ofra, 2022. "Generational differences in organizational leaders: an interpretive phenomenological analysis of work meaningfulness in the Nordic high-tech organizations," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 180(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:17:p:7680-:d:1471207. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.