Psychological suzhi moderates state anxiety and heart rate responses to acute stress in male adolescents

Abstract Psychological suzhi has increasingly been recognized to buffer chronic stress and improve mental health. However, few studies have examined the role of psychological suzhi in the response to acute stress. The current study aimed to investigate whether psychological suzhi can buffer state anxiety and heart rate responses to acute stress in adolescents. Healthy male adolescents ( N = 63) were classified into high ( N = 30) or low ( N = 33) psychological suzhi groups based on the Chinese norm of adolescent psychological suzhi scale‐simplified version. They completed both the modified Trier Social Stress Test for Groups and a specific control condition, with heart rate and state anxiety assessed. Data were analysed with mixed‐design repeated measures analysis of variance. The results showed that the modified Trier Social Stress Test for Groups condition effectively induced an increase in state anxiety and heart rate. Furthermore, individuals with higher levels of psychological suzhi showed lower state anxiety and heart rate stress responses. The present study indicated that psychological suzhi is an important internal resource against acute stress, which may inform interventions for male adolescents exposed to acute stress.