Factors Predicting Rural Chinese Adolescents' Anxieties, Fears and Depression

This study examined age, gender, birth order and self-perceived level of achievement and popularity, as predictors of anxieties, fears and depression in Chinese adolescents. A sample of 398 rural Chinese adolescents participated in this study. Gender, academic performance and popularity have been found to make the greatest contributions to the prediction of Chinese adolescents' anxieties, fears and depression. Girls with poor academic performance reported higher anxiety level than boys of similar achievement level whereas boys with an average academic performance level were reportedly more anxious than their girl counterparts. Adolescents who perceived themselves as having a higher achievement level and enjoying a higher level of popularity generally reported lower levels of anxieties, fears and depression than those who perceived themselves as less academically advanced and as unpopular. Implications for preventive interventions and directions for future research are discussed.