Mianzi consciousness and self-perceived opinion leadership: exploring the influence of online media use and interpersonal communication on the depression stigma

Guided by the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) theory, this study explores how individuals’ perceptions of depression stigma are shaped by their social media use and interpersonal communication, with a focus on the moderating effects of face-saving (mianzi) consciousness and self-perceived opinion leadership. Analyzing 580 responses from a national survey, the findings indicate a positive influence of both social media use and interpersonal communication on depression stigma. Moreover, mianzi consciousness enhances the likelihood of discussing social media content during interpersonal interactions, while self-perceived opinion leadership significantly amplifies the positive relationship between interpersonal communication and depression stigma. This research introduces a perspective rooted in psychology and cognition to examine the predictors of depression stigma, offering practical implications for targeted interventions in stigma reduction.