The associations of sociocultural pressure, self-concept clarity, hope and negative emotional states among adolescents with overweight or obese

Purpose The study aimed to explore the psychological mechanisms linking sociocultural pressure to negative emotional states, such as anxiety and depression, in overweight and obese adolescents. Specifically, it focused on how self-concept clarity and hope may mediate this relationship, investigating the emotional impact of external pressures related to body image and their influence on adolescents' mental health. Design/methodology/approach According to the Health Industry Standard of the People's Republic of China – Screening for overweight and obesity in school-age children and adolescents (EB/OL), a sample of 584 Chinese adolescents (aged 11–18, 61% boys, average age = 14.30 years) who were overweight or obese participated in this cross-sectional study. Participants completed scales measuring sociocultural pressure, self-concept clarity, hope, and emotional states (depression and anxiety). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the direct and indirect relationships among these variables. An additional analysis with 2,309 adolescents was conducted to compare results between overweight/obese and general adolescent populations. Findings The study found that self-concept clarity mediated the relationship between sociocultural pressure and negative emotional states (depression and anxiety) across both groups of adolescents. Moreover, a chain-mediated pathway was identified, where sociocultural pressure influenced emotional states through self-concept clarity and hope. However, in adolescents with overweight or obese, hope alone did not mediate this relationship. These findings highlight the critical role of self-concept clarity, and to a lesser extent hope, in shaping adolescents' emotional responses to sociocultural pressures related to body image. Originality/value This study provides new insights into the psychological mechanisms that link sociocultural pressure with emotional distress in adolescents with overweight or obese. By identifying self-concept clarity as a key mediator, the study adds to the understanding of how external pressures affect mental health and offers a novel perspective on the role of hope in this process. The findings suggest that improving self-concept clarity may help mitigate the emotional toll of body image-related sociocultural pressure, which could inform future interventions targeting mental health in adolescents.