{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,1]],"date-time":"2026-06-01T18:15:16Z","timestamp":1780337716534,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":53,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,25]],"date-time":"2025-03-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1742860800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Chongqing Municipal Social Science Planning Doctoral and Cultivation Project","award":["2023BS080"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2023BS080"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS ONE"],"abstract":"\nBackground<\/jats:title>\nIn the context of China\u2019s rapid transition from a collectivist work-unit system to a more individualized, community-oriented society, this study investigates the relationship between personal magnetism\u2014an individual\u2019s social appeal\u2014and its protective role in mitigating depression.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n\nObjective<\/jats:title>\nThis study aims to examine the moderating role of perceived inequality and the mediating effect of community trust in the relationship between personal magnetism and depression.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n\nMethods<\/jats:title>\nUtilizing longitudinal data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) from 2018 to 2020, involving 26,711 respondents aged 16 to 96, this study employs multivariate regression models to explore these relationships.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n\nResults<\/jats:title>\nThe findings reveal that perceived inequality amplifies the negative relationship between personal magnetism and depression, suggesting that personal magnetism becomes less effective in alleviating depressive symptoms in contexts of higher inequality. Additionally, community trust is identified as a key mediator, explaining how strong social networks can buffer the psychological effects of inequality and enhance mental well-being.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n\nConclusion<\/jats:title>\nThe findings underscore the importance of fostering community trust and addressing income inequality in public policy. By leveraging the positive effects of personal magnetism and social solidarity, targeted interventions can reduce depression and enhance collective well-being in societies undergoing socio-economic transformation.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0320560","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,25]],"date-time":"2025-03-25T20:58:03Z","timestamp":1742936283000},"page":"e0320560","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Nesting of groups: Links among personal magnetism, community trust, inequality perception and depression"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"20","author":[{"given":"Peicheng","family":"Wang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6480-4268","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Yujie","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,25]]},"reference":[{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0320560.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"155","DOI":"10.1080\/10971475.2015.993228","article-title":"China and the WTO: will the market economy status make any difference after 2016?","volume":"48","author":"F Urdinez","year":"2015","journal-title":"Chin Econ"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0320560.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"189","DOI":"10.1007\/s11205-016-1229-1","article-title":"Urbanization and income inequality in China: an empirical investigation at provincial level","volume":"131","author":"D Wu","year":"2017","journal-title":"Soc Indicat Res"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0320560.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"211","DOI":"10.1016\/S2215-0366(18)30511-X","article-title":"Prevalence of mental disorders in China: a cross-sectional epidemiological study","volume":"6","author":"Y Huang","year":"2019","journal-title":"Lancet Psychiatry"},{"key":"pone.0320560.ref004","volume-title":"The interpersonal theory of psychiatry","author":"HS Sullivan","year":"1953"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0320560.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"497","DOI":"10.1037\/0033-2909.117.3.497","article-title":"The need to belong: desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation","volume":"117","author":"RF Baumeister","year":"1995","journal-title":"Psychol Bull"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0320560.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"458","DOI":"10.1093\/jurban\/78.3.458","article-title":"Social ties and mental health","volume":"78","author":"I Kawachi","year":"2001","journal-title":"J Urban Health"},{"issue":"3 Suppl","key":"pone.0320560.ref007","first-page":"S39-52","article-title":"Social isolation and health, with an emphasis on underlying mechanisms","volume":"46","author":"JT Cacioppo","year":"2003","journal-title":"Perspect Biol Med"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0320560.ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1086\/452256","article-title":"The Chinese family and economic development: obstacle or engine?","volume":"45","author":"MK Whyte","year":"1996","journal-title":"Economic Development and Cultural Change"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0320560.ref009","first-page":"1","article-title":"The transformation of urban China","volume":"5","author":"L Li","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Chin Sociol"},{"key":"pone.0320560.ref010","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1006","DOI":"10.1017\/S0305741003000596","article-title":"Between the state and labour: the conflict of chinese trade unions\u2019 double identity in market reform","volume":"176","author":"F Chen","year":"2003","journal-title":"China Quarterly"},{"key":"pone.0320560.ref011","volume-title":"Bowling alone: The collapse and revival of American community","author":"RD Putnam","year":"2000"},{"issue":"1449","key":"pone.0320560.ref012","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1435","DOI":"10.1098\/rstb.2004.1522","article-title":"The social context of well-being","volume":"359","author":"JF Helliwell","year":"2004","journal-title":"Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0320560.ref013","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"817","DOI":"10.1162\/003355399556151","article-title":"A Theory of Fairness, Competition, and Cooperation","volume":"114","author":"E Fehr","year":"1999","journal-title":"Q J Econ"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0320560.ref014","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"857","DOI":"10.1257\/0002828042002741","article-title":"Inequality Aversion, Efficiency, and Maximin Preferences in Simple Distribution Experiments","volume":"94","author":"D Engelmann","year":"2004","journal-title":"Am Econ Rev"},{"key":"pone.0320560.ref015","article-title":"Where is capitalism? 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