Subjective Well‐Being and Anxiety in College Students: The Chain Mediating Role of Self‐Worth and Employment Pressure and the Effect of Receptive Music Therapy

Objective To examine the chain‐mediating role of self‐worth and employment pressure in the relationship between subjective well‐being and anxiety among college students, and to evaluate the potential effect of receptive music therapy. Methods This study adopted a pre‐post test design without a control group. College students with scores > 4 on the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD‐7) were recruited. Measurements included the General Well‐Being Schedule (GWB), the Adolescent Self‐Worth (ASWS), and the College Student Employment Pressure Scale. Pearson correlation and multiple regression analyses were conducted to explore relationships among variables, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the chain‐mediating effect. Results Correlation analyses showed significant pairwise correlations between subjective well‐being, self‐worth, employment pressure, and anxiety ( p < 0.05). Regression analyses indicated that subjective well‐being negatively predicted anxiety, while self‐worth and employment pressure positively predicted anxiety ( p < 0.01). The chain‐mediation model confirmed that self‐worth and employment pressure played a significant chain‐mediating role in the path through which subjective well‐being influences anxiety. Through adopting receptive music therapy, participants demonstrated significant improvements in scores on the GAD‐7, GWB, ASWS, and the College Student Employment Pressure Scale compared to pre‐treatment levels (all p < 0.05). Conclusion Subjective well‐being among college students can influences anxiety levels through the chain‐ mediating roles of self‐worth and employment pressure. Receptive music therapy has positive effects on enhancing subjective well‐being and self‐worth, as well as alleviating perceived anxiety and employment pressure in this population.