Effect of job insecurity on anxiety among university young teachers: Chain mediating roles of perceived stress and insomnia.
10.11817/j.issn.1672-7347.2025.250133
- Author:
Xinyu CHEN
1
,
2
;
Qing LU
1
;
Fang ZHOU
3
;
Muli HU
4
;
Na YAO
4
;
Yi ZHANG
1
;
Fei QIU
3
,
5
Author Information
1. Medical Psychological Center, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha
2. 238211006@csu.edu.cn.
3. Department of Human Resources, Central South University, Changsha
4. Department of Human Resources, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, China.
5. qiufei@csu.edu.cn.
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
anxiety;
insomnia;
job insecurity;
perceived stress;
university young teachers
- MeSH:
Humans;
Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders/epidemiology*;
Universities;
Female;
Anxiety/psychology*;
Male;
Stress, Psychological/psychology*;
Adult;
Faculty/psychology*;
Surveys and Questionnaires;
China/epidemiology*;
Occupational Stress;
Job Security
- From:
Journal of Central South University(Medical Sciences)
2025;50(4):706-713
- CountryChina
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVES:Anxiety is a common negative emotion. Under current social circumstances, university young teachers face multiple stressors and are more prone to anxiety, seriously threatening their physical and mental health. This study aims to investigate the impact of job insecurity on anxiety of university young teachers, while exploring the mediating roles of perceived stress and insomnia on this relationship.
METHODS:Using convenience sampling, young teachers from a general university in a Chinese province were surveyed online. Scores of the Job Insecurity Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, Athens Insomnia Scale-Short Form, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale were collected. A chain mediation analysis was conducted using the PROCESS macro.
RESULTS:A total of 798 subjects were finally included. The detection rate of anxiety among university young teachers was 36.47%. Mediation analysis showed that job insecurity not only had a direct effect on anxiety, but also indirectly affected anxiety via perceived stress (46.42% of the total effect) and insomnia (7.45%), as well as through the chain-mediating path of perceived stress→ insomnia (13.18%; all P<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS:Job insecurity is a significant predictor of anxiety in young university faculty. Perceived stress and insomnia serve as sequential mediators in this relationship. Targeted interventions addressing job insecurity, stress perception, and sleep disturbances, alongside efforts to improve mental health literacy and the working environment, may help promote the overall well-being of university young teachers.
