Positive psychological capital was significantly and positively associated with adolescent psychosexual health, with autonomy amplifying these beneficial effects, while gender did not show a significant moderating effect.
Key Findings
Results
All four components of positive psychological capital were significantly and positively associated with adolescent psychosexual health.
Hope showed the strongest association with psychosexual health (r = 0.530, p < 0.001)
Optimism was the second strongest correlate (r = 0.505, p < 0.001)
Self-efficacy showed a moderate positive association (r = 0.467, p < 0.001)
Resilience showed the weakest but still significant association (r = 0.449, p < 0.001)
All correlations were statistically significant at p < 0.001
Results
Autonomy significantly moderated the relationship between all four components of positive psychological capital and adolescent psychosexual health.
Autonomy moderated the hope–psychosexual health association (β = 0.040, p < 0.001)
Autonomy moderated the self-efficacy–psychosexual health association (β = 0.086, p < 0.001)
Autonomy moderated the resilience–psychosexual health association (β = 0.086, p < 0.001)
Autonomy moderated the optimism–psychosexual health association (β = 0.091, p < 0.001)
The moderating effects indicate that autonomy amplifies the beneficial effects of positive psychological capital on psychosexual health
Results
Gender did not show a significant moderating effect on the relationship between positive psychological capital and adolescent psychosexual health.
The moderation analysis tested gender as a potential moderator of all four positive psychological capital components
No significant moderating effect of gender was found for any of the four components
The sample was nearly evenly split by gender: 50.1% male and 49.9% female participants
This finding suggests the associations between positive psychological capital and psychosexual health are consistent across genders
Methods
The study recruited a large cross-sectional sample of Chinese adolescents from both urban and rural schools in Zunyi City, Guizhou Province.
8,205 students were initially recruited from 10 junior and senior high schools using convenience sampling
After data cleaning, 7,910 valid responses were retained, yielding a validity rate of 96.40%
The mean age of participants was 13.99 years (SD = 1.13)
Data were collected between December 2023 and April 2024
Participants completed Chinese versions of the Positive Psychological Capital Questionnaire, Autonomy Questionnaire, and Adolescent Psychosexual Health Questionnaire
Background
The study identified a gap in the literature where research on adolescent psychosexual health has predominantly focused on risk factors rather than positive psychological traits.
The authors framed psychosexual health as 'a fundamental component of adolescent well-being'
Prior research was characterized as 'overlooking the potential benefits of positive psychological traits'
The study aimed to investigate positive psychological capital as a protective or promotive factor
The findings support prioritizing autonomy in future interventions aimed at promoting adolescent mental and sexual well-being
What This Means
This research suggests that adolescents who have stronger positive psychological traits — specifically hope, optimism, self-efficacy (belief in one's own abilities), and resilience — also tend to have better psychosexual health. The study surveyed nearly 8,000 middle and high school students in China, finding that all four of these psychological strengths were meaningfully linked to healthier psychosexual development, with hope showing the strongest connection.
The study also found that a young person's sense of autonomy — their ability to make independent decisions — strengthens the relationship between these positive traits and psychosexual health. In other words, adolescents who both possess positive psychological characteristics and feel a sense of personal autonomy appear to benefit the most in terms of psychosexual well-being. Notably, this pattern held equally for both boys and girls, as gender did not change the strength of these associations.
This research suggests that programs designed to support adolescent sexual and psychological health might benefit from focusing not just on reducing risks, but also on building positive inner resources like hope and resilience, and on fostering young people's sense of autonomy and self-direction. The findings point away from a purely problem-focused approach toward one that nurtures psychological strengths in adolescents.
Luo J, Muhamad H, Chen F. (2025). Positive psychological capital and adolescent psychosexual health: the moderating roles of gender and autonomy.. BMC psychology. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-03106-z