After two years of the coronavirus pandemic, young people are struggling more than ever with their mental health and well-being. College students who put a lot of pressure on themselves to be the best at everything they do have been hit especially hard. Psychologist Catherine Steiner-Adair called this type of pressure the «superwoman ideal»; Sally A. Theran, associate professor of psychology at Wellesley College, has modified the term to the gender-neutral «superhero ideal.» Theran’s recent research has shown that by developing authentic and healthy relationships, young people can fight the depressive symptoms associated with this superhero ideal.
Superhero ideal, authenticity in relationships, and depressive symptoms: A multiple mediation analysis
After two years of the coronavirus pandemic, young people are struggling more than ever with their mental health and well-being. College students who put a lot of pressure on themselves to be the best at everything they do have been hit especially hard. Psychologist Catherine Steiner-Adair called this type of pressure the "superwoman ideal"; Sally A. Theran, associate professor of psychology at Wellesley College, has modified the term to the gender-neutral "superhero ideal." Theran's recent research has shown that by developing authentic and healthy relationships, young people can fight the depressive symptoms associated with this superhero ideal.