Mediating effect of coping on relationship between tutors'guidance and mental health in postgraduates

Objective To explore the relationship between tutors'guidance and coping,mental health of the postgraduate and to provide a reference for improving postgraduates' mental health.Methods Questionnaire survey was conducted among 1 274 postgraduates by using a self-designed Guiding Behavior Questionnaire，Simple Coping Style Questionnare(SCSQ)and Symptom Checklist-90(SCL-90)in 28 universities in six administrative districts of China.Results The ratios of the postgraduates with the top three stressful events were 55.7%for learning and scientific research,18.0%for economic pressures and 15.9%for career selection.There were 39.2%of the tutors forcing the graduate students completely according to mentor's ideas for scientific research and 23.8%venting their anger on graduates based on the responses of the postgraduates.The tutors' guidance was significantly positively correlated with the score of SCL-90 and positive coping was negatively correlated with the score of SCL-90,while negative coping was positively correlated with the score of SCL-90 of the postgraduates.The guide behavior had direct effect on mental health(β=0.31)of the postgraduates.The positive coping of the postgraduates showed a partial mediating effect on the relationship between tutors' guidance and mental health of the postgraduates(β=-0.23),with a rate of mediation effect of 10.82%,while the negative coping showed a partial mediating effect(β=0.11),with a rate of mediation effect of 8.09%.Conclusion The coping style of postgraduate may be a partial mediating variable for the association between tutors' guidance and mental health of postgraduates and the development of positive coping style is very significant for the postgraduates.