Psychosocial factors in sustainable youth social work: enhancing resilience, self-efficacy, and pro-environmental behavior among Chinese youth

Abstract

This cross-sectional study investigated associations between psychological interventions and pro-environmental behaviors among 427 Chinese youth. Structural equation modeling indicated that psychological interventions were positive related to both resilience and self-efficacy that in turn was related to being more pro-environmental behavioral. Further, based on the social cognitive theory, the research examines the moderating effects of environmental attitudes and sustainable youth social work on their relationships. Employing a cross-sectional design, data was gathered using a survey from 427 Chinese participants using calibrated scales. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the relationships between the variables. The results show significant and positive links between the perceived psychological interventions and the resilience and self-efficacy of youth, which are related to pro-environmental behaviors. In addition, environmental attitudes and sustainable youth social work emerged as great moderators, reinforcing the relationships between perceived psychological interventions and pro-environmental behaviors. These insights have important implications for the design and implementation of psychological strategies aimed at behavior change in relation to the environment. By making students aware of the importance of psychological factors in environmental behavior, such research is an important contribution to the broader field of further understanding sustainable behavior development among youth.