The Impact of Stereotype Threat on Mental Health: A Moderated Mediation Model

Objective: Based on the self-worth theory and combined with previous studies, this study examines the influence mechanism of stereotype threat (ST) on mental health (MH). Methods: Taking the students of a secondary vocational school in Guizhou Province as the research objects, common method bias (CMB) test, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), regression analysis (RA) and other methods were conducted on 339 valid questionnaires of secondary vocational school students to verify the hypotheses. Results: ST has a positive impact on intrusive thoughts (ITs); ITs play a full mediating role between ST and MH; self-esteem (SE) positively moderates the relationship between ST and ITs as well as the mediating effect of ITs, that is, the higher the level of SE, the stronger the ITs caused by ST, and thus the lower the MH level of secondary vocational school students. Conclusion: In the influence of ST on MH, ITs have a mediating role between the two, and SE has a moderating role.