Self-objectification and depressive symptoms among young Chinese women: The roles of appearance comparison on social networking sites and regulatory emotional self-efficacy

The present study examined the relationship between self-objectification and depressive symptoms among young Chinese women (<i>N</i> = 324), and investigated the roles of appearance comparison on social networking sites (SNS) and regulatory emotional self-efficacy in this relationship. The results showed that self-objectification was associated with depressive symptoms, and the relationship was mediated by appearance comparison on SNS. The study also found that regulatory emotional self-efficacy moderated the indirect relationship between self-objectification and depressive symptoms via appearance comparison on SNS. These findings suggest that regulatory emotional self-efficacy plays a buffering role between appearance comparison on SNS and depressive symptoms. Based on our results, interventions that address young Chinese women' depressive symptoms could include reducing self-objectification, decreasing appearance comparison on SNS, and improving regulatory emotional self-efficacy. Our research provides new insights into the interactions between self-objectification and the risk to women's mental health.