Abstract
BACKGROUND: Psychological pain is the most important factor affecting suicide rates. However, the factors contributing to psychological pain in medical students remain poorly understood. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the effects of a stress mindset on psychological pain and the mediating roles of cognitive reappraisal and self-identity among Chinese medical students. METHODS: Medical students (N = 2056; 1,369, 66.60% female; 683, 33.40% male) from China completed multiple measures of stress mindset, self-identity, cognitive reappraisal, and psychological pain. Correlation and mediation analyses were conducted using SPSS 29.0 and Mplus 8.3. RESULTS: (1) The stress mindset was significantly negatively correlated with psychological pain among medical students. (2) Cognitive reappraisal mediated the relationship between the stress mindset and psychological pain. (3) Self-identity mediated the relationship between the stress mindset and psychological pain. (4) Cognitive reappraisal and self-identity jointly mediated the relationship between the stress mindset and psychological pain. CONCLUSION: The results of this study deepen the understanding of the psychological processes linking stress mindset and psychological pain and provide a valuable reference for reducing psychological pain and improving the well-being of medical students.