{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,5]],"date-time":"2025-12-05T12:09:22Z","timestamp":1764936562329,"version":"3.46.0"},"reference-count":54,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,5]],"date-time":"2025-12-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1764892800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Psychiatry"],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objectives<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This study aimed to explore the bidirectional association between depressive symptoms and learning motivation (LM) among Chinese college freshmen, distinguish between interindividual and intraindividual effects, and analyze the moderating role of parental educational background.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A prospective longitudinal study was conducted among freshmen from a university in Jingzhou City, Hubei Province, China, with three waves of surveys over two years (2023\u20132025) and follow-ups conducted annually. Data from a total of 4,669 freshmen were finally included in the analysis (mean age = 19.32 years, SD = 2.96; 53.8% female). Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and LM was measured via the LM Subscale of the Mental Health Scale for College Students (MHS-CS). The Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Model (RI-CLPM) was employed to analyze the temporal association between depressive symptoms and LM, and separate models were constructed for the full sample, samples from low-educational background families, samples from intermediate-education background families, and samples from high-educational background families.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>At the interindividual level, all groups showed a strong negative correlation between depressive symptoms and LM (full sample: r=-0.70, p&amp;lt;0.001; low-education families: r=-0.66, p&amp;lt;0.001; intermediate-education families: r=-0.72, p&amp;lt;0.001; high-education families: r=-0.85, p&amp;lt;0.001). At the intraindividual level, depressive symptoms were significantly negatively correlated with LM across all waves in all groups (r=-0.30~-0.46). For cross-lagged effects: depressive symptoms stably and negatively predicted subsequent LM at T1\u2192T2 (\u03b2=-0.12) and T2\u2192T3 (\u03b2=-0.10~-0.23) in all groups; LM negatively predicted depressive symptoms only at T1\u2192T2 in the full sample (\u03b2=-0.11) and low-education families (\u03b2=-0.12), positively predicted depressive symptoms at T2\u2192T3 in intermediate-education families (\u03b2=0.08), and had no significant effect across all waves in high-education families.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A stable negative correlation exists between depressive symptoms and LM among Chinese college freshmen: depressive symptoms consistently impair subsequent LM, while the protective effect of LM against depressive symptoms is phased, with subgroup differences in family educational background. These findings suggest that colleges and universities should prioritize early screening and intervention for freshmen\u2019s depressive symptoms to protect their LM, and provide targeted support based on parental educational background.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyt.2025.1715472","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,5]],"date-time":"2025-12-05T12:05:05Z","timestamp":1764936305000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Depressive symptoms and Learning Motivation among Chinese freshmen: a longitudinal study using random intercept cross-lagged panel model and the subgroup analysis of parental educational background"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Ye","family":"Yu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ting","family":"Yu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Xinfeng","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Li","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Xuejian","family":"Su","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Xinwei","family":"Yu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yuwei","family":"Yang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ting","family":"Pan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Xiaopeng","family":"Deng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.redox.2022.102522","article-title":"Nrf2: An all-rounder in depression","volume":"58","author":"Zuo","year":"2022","journal-title":"Redox Biol"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jad.2022.10.014","article-title":"Association of chronotype, social jetlag, sleep duration and depressive symptoms in Chinese college students","volume":"320","author":"Qu","year":"2023","journal-title":"J Affect Disord"},{"key":"B3","article-title":"Epidemiologic survey on the depressive symptoms of college freshmen","volume-title":"Modern Preventive Medicine","author":"Huai","year":"2013"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"9(2)","DOI":"10.30877\/IJMH.9.2.2022.193-197","article-title":"Depression among college students: prevalence and associated risk factors","volume":"2022","author":"Dhillon","year":"2022","journal-title":"Indian J Ment Health"},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.24193\/ed21.2023.25.33","article-title":"Learning motivation of students","volume":"21","author":"Felea","year":"2023","journal-title":"Educatia"},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"10","DOI":"10.24250\/jpe\/2\/2022\/afr\/mif","article-title":"The motivation of learning in students","volume":"31","author":"Felicia","year":"2022","journal-title":"Plus Education"},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.54097\/91kf9485","article-title":"An investigation into how learning motivation affects college students\u2019 Major choices and academic performance in China","volume":"29","author":"Wang","year":"2024","journal-title":"J Education Humanities Soc Sci"},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/13632752.2024.2434982","article-title":"Depression: implications for learning and education","volume":"30","author":"N\u00f8rby","year":"2025","journal-title":"Emotional Behav Difficulties"},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.22251\/jlcci.2023.23.12.245","article-title":"The mediating effect of strengths knowledge in a relationship between depression and academic motivation","volume":"23","author":"Jung","year":"2023","journal-title":"Korean Assoc For Learner-Centered Curriculum And Instruction"},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.54097\/ehss.v22i.12409","article-title":"The influence of depression on learning motivation among Chinese high school students","volume":"22","author":"Zhan","year":"2023","journal-title":"J Education Humanities Soc Sci"},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.psychres.2017.12.009","article-title":"Motivation, health-related lifestyles and depression among university students: A longitudinal analysis","volume":"260","author":"Piumatti","year":"2018","journal-title":"Psychiatry Res"},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/13803395.2020.1711874","article-title":"Patients with major depression show greater memory improvement if motivation is increased: An exploratory study under real-life-like conditions","volume":"42","author":"Dehn","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Clin Exp Neuropsychol"},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"58","DOI":"10.54254\/2753-7048\/25\/20230318","article-title":"The impacts of parenting style and education level of parents on learning motivation","volume":"25","author":"Peng","year":"2023","journal-title":"Lecture Notes Educ Psychol Public Media"},{"key":"B14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"298","DOI":"10.1097\/00004583-200403000-00011","article-title":"Parental familial vulnerability, family environment, and their interactions as predictors of depressive symptoms in adolescents","volume":"43","author":"Eley","year":"2004","journal-title":"J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry"},{"key":"B15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jad.2023.11.081","article-title":"Parental education level and adolescent depression: A multi-country meta-analysis","volume":"347","author":"Xiang","year":"2024","journal-title":"J Affect Disord"},{"key":"B16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1002\/9781394258963.ch12","article-title":"Family systems theory and therapy","volume-title":"Counseling and Psychotherapy Theories in Context and Practice","author":"Murray","year":"2018"},{"key":"B17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"46","DOI":"10.71126\/nijms.v1i5.54","article-title":"Impact of family environment on the academic achievement of secondary school students","volume":"1","author":"Yadav","year":"2025","journal-title":"Naveen Int J Multidiscip Sci (NIJMS)"},{"key":"B18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"706","DOI":"10.1186\/s12889-024-18234-1","article-title":"Longitudinal assessment of the relationship between frailty and social relationships among Japanese older adults: a random intercept cross-lagged panel model","volume":"24","author":"Cui","year":"2024","journal-title":"BMC Public Health"},{"key":"B19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/a0038889","article-title":"A critique of the cross-lagged panel model","volume":"20","author":"Hamaker","year":"2015","journal-title":"psychol Methods"},{"key":"B20","first-page":"43","article-title":"Why researchers should think \u201cwithin-person\u201d: A paradigmatic rationale","volume-title":"Handbook of research methods for studying daily life","author":"Hamaker","year":"2012"},{"key":"B21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jad.2023.08.081","article-title":"Sex differences in the symptom network structure of depression: Findings from a nationwide sample of the Spanish adult population","volume":"340","author":"Izquierdo","year":"2023","journal-title":"J Affect Disord"},{"key":"B22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"18","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jad.2023.10.019","article-title":"Low household income, financial literacy, or financial health: Which is the strongest risk factor and outcome of depressive symptomatology","volume":"344","author":"Vittengl","year":"2024","journal-title":"J Affect Disord"},{"key":"B23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0034355213515305","article-title":"Test review: patient health questionnaire\u20139 (PHQ-9)","volume":"57","author":"R. L","year":"2014","journal-title":"Rehabil Couns Bull"},{"key":"B24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/appy.12063","article-title":"Validation of the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire to screen for major depression in a Chinese primary care population","volume":"5","author":"Chen","year":"2013","journal-title":"Asia-Pacific Psychiatry"},{"key":"B25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3(4)","DOI":"10.16719\/j.cnki.1671-6981.2009.03.066","article-title":"An initial exploration of the mental health structure of college students with a sound personality orientation","volume":"2009","author":"Cheng","year":"2009","journal-title":"Psychol Sci"},{"key":"B26","volume-title":"China educational psychological assessment manual","author":"Shen","year":"2014"},{"key":"B27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.socscimed.2021.114483","article-title":"Vicious cycle of emotional maltreatment and bullying perpetration\/victimization among early adolescents: Depressive symptoms as a mediator","volume":"291","author":"Li","year":"2021","journal-title":"Soc Sci Med"},{"key":"B28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"71","DOI":"10.1016\/j.dr.2016.06.004","article-title":"Measurement invariance conventions and reporting: The state of the art and future directions for psychological research","volume":"41","author":"Putnick","year":"2016","journal-title":"Dev Review"},{"key":"B29","first-page":"xviii, 366","article-title":"Principles and practice of structural equation modeling","volume-title":"Principles and practice of structural equation modeling, 2nd ed","author":"Kline","year":"2005"},{"key":"B30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev.psych.51.1.201","article-title":"Applications of structural equation modeling in psychological research","volume":"51","author":"MacCallum","year":"2000","journal-title":"Annu Rev Psychol"},{"key":"B31","article-title":"Principles and practice of structural equation modeling","author":"Kline","year":"2011"},{"key":"B32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1207\/S15328007SEM0902_5","article-title":"Evaluating goodness-of-fit indexes for testing measurement invariance","volume":"9","author":"Cheung","year":"2002","journal-title":"Struct Equation Modeling: A Multidiscip J"},{"key":"B33","article-title":"Harman\u2019s single factor test in PLS-SEM: Checking for common method bias","volume":"2","author":"Kock","year":"2022","journal-title":"Data Anal Perspect J"},{"key":"B34","volume-title":"Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences","author":"Cohen","year":"1988"},{"key":"B35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/10705511.2020.1784738","article-title":"Three extensions of the random intercept cross-lagged panel model","volume":"28","author":"Mulder","year":"2021","journal-title":"Structural Equ Modeling A Multidisciplinary J"},{"key":"B36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"464","DOI":"10.1080\/10705510701301834","article-title":"Sensitivity of goodness of fit indexes to lack of measurement invariance","volume":"14","author":"Chen","year":"2007","journal-title":"Struct Equation Modeling: A Multidiscip J"},{"key":"B37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.47191\/ijcsrr\/V5-i6-48","article-title":"The effect of depression on motivation to study","volume":"5","author":"Shiwaruangrote","year":"2022","journal-title":"Int J Curr Sci Res Rev"},{"key":"B38","article-title":"The Change of Learning Motivation: When People Predict their Affective Reactions after Receiving a Hypothetical Positive Feedback","author":"Noda","year":"2009"},{"key":"B39","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/02699931.2019.1710467","article-title":"What has been is what will be\u201d? Autobiographical memory and prediction of future events in depression","volume":"34","author":"Gadassi Polack","year":"2020","journal-title":"Cogn Emotion"},{"key":"B40","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1192\/bjp.bp.110.080572","article-title":"Psychiatric history and subthreshold symptoms as predictors ofthe occurrence of depressive or anxiety disorder within 2years","volume":"198","author":"Karsten","year":"2011","journal-title":"Br J Psychiatry"},{"key":"B41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/15374410902976296","article-title":"Why is past depression the best predictor of future depression? Stress generation as a mechanism of depression continuity in girls","volume":"38","author":"Rudolph","year":"2009","journal-title":"J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol"},{"key":"B42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"54","DOI":"10.4103\/1110-1105.153780","article-title":"Cognitive impairment in depressed students of Cairo University Hospital","volume":"36","author":"Sarhan","year":"2015","journal-title":"Egyptian J Psychiatry"},{"key":"B43","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2021.581681","article-title":"Cognitive motivation as a resource for affective adjustment and mental health","volume":"12","author":"Strobel","year":"2021","journal-title":"Front Psychol"},{"key":"B44","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"24089","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-024-75511-0","article-title":"Semantic inhibition impairment in college students with depressive states as evidenced by EEG and pupillometry during the hayling task","volume":"14","author":"Jan","year":"2024","journal-title":"Sci Rep"},{"key":"B45","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"698","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jad.2019.11.049","article-title":"Impaired social learning predicts reduced real-life motivation in individuals with depression: A computational fMRI study","volume":"263","author":"Frey","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Affect Disord"},{"key":"B46","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10212-021-00569-7","article-title":"The relationship between academic motivation and basic psychological needs within the freshman year context: a longitudinal person-oriented approach","volume":"37","author":"Chevrier","year":"2022","journal-title":"Eur J Psychol Education"},{"key":"B47","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.15330\/jpnu.7.1.184-191","article-title":"Psychological and pedagogical features of students\u2019 Adaptation to studying at higher education institutions","volume":"7","author":"Iliichuk","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian Natl University"},{"key":"B48","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1188\/17.ONF.155-156","article-title":"Self-determination theory: intrinsic motivation and behavioral change","volume":"44","author":"Flannery","year":"2017","journal-title":"Oncol Nurs Forum"},{"key":"B49","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph18179158","article-title":"Associations between depression, anxiety, fatigue, and learning motivating factors in e-learning-based computer programming education","volume":"18","author":"Dirzyte","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int J Environ Res Public Health"},{"key":"B50","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0201451","article-title":"Neural activity and fundamental learning, motivated by monetary loss and reward, are intact in mild to moderate major depressive disorder","volume":"13","author":"Moutoussis","year":"2018","journal-title":"PLOS ONE"},{"key":"B51","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.61838\/kman.psychnexus.2.1.7","article-title":"Strategies for enhancing academic motivation: insights from successful students","volume":"2","author":"Shirvani","year":"2024","journal-title":"KMAN Couns Psychol Nexus"},{"key":"B52","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"538","DOI":"10.1186\/s40359-024-02039-3","article-title":"Association between parental educational involvement and adolescent depressive symptoms: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"12","author":"Liu","year":"2024","journal-title":"BMC Psychol"},{"key":"B53","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10964-019-01083-2","article-title":"Parental motivational perseverance predicts adolescents\u2019 Depressive symptoms: an intergenerational analysis with actor-partner interdependence model","volume":"49","author":"Ohtani","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Youth Adolescence"},{"key":"B54","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/healthcare12171792","article-title":"Parent\u2013child mismatch in educational expectations and depressive symptoms among Chinese adolescents","volume":"12","author":"Zhang","year":"2024","journal-title":"Healthcare"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Psychiatry"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyt.2025.1715472\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,5]],"date-time":"2025-12-05T12:05:38Z","timestamp":1764936338000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyt.2025.1715472\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,5]]},"references-count":54,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fpsyt.2025.1715472"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpsyt.2025.1715472","relation":{},"ISSN":["1664-0640"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1664-0640","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,5]]},"article-number":"1715472"}}