The Effect of Social Stigma on Mental Health of Adolescents with Juvenile Protection Disposition No. 6 and the Mediating Effect of Positive Psychological Capital

The purpose of this study was to examine how the social stigma perceived by adolescents with juvenile protection disposition 6 affected their mental health and to verify the mediating effect of positive psychological capital in the relationship between social stigma and mental health. 260 adolescents with juvenile protection disposition No. 6 participated in the study. The data collected through the survey were analyzed by using SPSS 29.0 and PROCESS macro version 4.2. As a result of the study, first, when applying the cut-off score, 60.8% of the total survey subjects fell into the depressed group and 18.1% fell into the anxious group. Second, the higher the level of social stigma perceived by adolescents with juvenile protection disposition 6, the significantly higher their levels of depression and anxiety. Third, positive psychological capital showed a mediating effect in the relationship between social stigma and depression and anxiety among adolescents with juvenile protection disposition 6. Fourth, among the sub-factors of positive psychological capital, resilience and optimism were verified to mediate the relationship between social stigma and depression by adolescents with juvenile protection disposition 6, and only resilience showed a significant mediating effect in the relationship with anxiety. Based on the findings, practical suggestions related to relieving social stigma and strengthening positive psychological capital, especially resilience and optimism among the sub-factors of positive psychological capital as an internal resource were discussed to improve the mental health of adolescents with juvenile protection disposition 6.