Exploring the role of personal quantification in alleviating generalized anxiety disorder among Chinese PhD students: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Personal quantification plays a crucial role in preserving individual mental health. However, in previous research, its effectiveness in alleviating generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) has not been conclusively established. This study explores the impact of personal quantification on GAD among PhD students. The research data was obtained through questionnaires distributed to 308 PhD students across universities in China. Among these students, 118 anxiety-free participants were excluded, yielding valuable data from 190 students with GADs. We employed Python programming language and SPSS software for the empirical analysis. The results illustrated that personal quantification significantly and negatively impacted GAD (β = −0.148, P = .002), concurrently producing a significantly positive effect on self-efficacy (β = 0.359, P < .001). Further analysis showed that through 5000 sampling iterations and a 95% confidence level, self-efficacy significantly reduced certain symptoms of GAD (β = −0.1183; P = .026; 95% Cl: −0.2222 to −0.0144). Moreover, when the coefficient of self-efficacy was significantly negative, the impact of personal quantification on GAD remained statistically significant (β = −0.1056; P = .033; 95% Cl: −0.2025 to −0.0087). The findings indicated that personal quantification has a significant role in alleviating GAD among PhD students, which is partly mediated through self-efficacy. This study contributes valuable insights to the nonpharmacological alleviation of GAD in Chinese PhD students.