Unraveling complexity of celebrity worship and its associations with mental health among emerging adults in China

Dados Bibliográficos

ID22235349
AutoresDannuo Wei (0000-0002-9293-4956, University of Hong Kong), Yu-Te Huang (0000-0002-6861-8144, University of Hong Kong, autor correspondente)
Ano2024
Volume11
Fascículo1
Data de publicação2024-12-24
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoHumanities and Social Sciences Communications (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 2662-9992 • E-ISSN: 2662-9992
EditoraSpringer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1057/s41599-024-04296-4
OpenAlexW4405729674
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas2
Referências citadas70

The digital media and the celebrity-making industry have drastically fueled celebrity worship, an evolving and complex human behavior. However, existing studies seem to oversimplify celebrity worship as a continuum ranging from normal to pathological. This study addresses this gap by developing a framework to classify distinct fan types and validate them with empirical data. A nationwide online survey was conducted with 806 Chinese emerging adults who acknowledged having a favorite celebrity. Six fan profiles were identified through Latent Profile Analysis. We then compared our classification with the widely used Celebrity Attitude Scale (CAS) to predict mental health outcomes among all participants and by gender. Results revealed significant differences across fan types on anxiety and the psychological well-being sub-dimension. The CAS score was not significantly associated with anxiety or depressive symptoms. Associations between fan types and mental health outcomes varied by gender. These findings highlight the complex nature of celebrity worship

China · Geography · Mental health · Political science · Psychiatry · Worship · Gender, Feminism, and Media · Law · Media Influence and Health · Psychology · Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology · Social Psychology