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Self-Efficacy as a Mechanism Linking Daily Stress to Mental Health in Students: A Three-Wave Cross-Lagged Study
- Source :
- Psychological Reports. 122:2074-2095
- Publication Year :
- 2018
- Publisher :
- SAGE Publications, 2018.
-
Abstract
- Background and Objectives While stress is generally well established to be predictive for different indicators of mental health, little is known about the longitudinal effects of daily life stressors and the role of self-evaluation factors. We tested whether perceived general self-efficacy is a mediator for the association between daily life stressors and psychopathological symptoms as well as subjective well-being. Methods Data derived from 2160 Chinese university students was assessed at three time points with one-year intervals. We used the Brief Daily Stressor Screening, the General Self-Efficacy Scale, the Positive Mental Health Scale, and the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scales. Total, direct, and indirect effects were estimated using 95% bootstrapped confidence intervals and structural equation modeling. Results Latent variable mediation analyses showed that daily stressors were associated with increased symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress and with decreased subjective well-being. All cross-lagged mediational paths via self-efficacy were significant in predicting positive and negative mental health. Conclusions Considering stress of daily life as well as including the two dimensions of mental health may be important for future research and practice. This study provides novel evidence for mediating stress effects by perceived self-efficacy, which should be focused in intervention- and prevention-based approaches.
- Subjects :
- Adult
Male
050103 clinical psychology
Adolescent
Universities
050109 social psychology
Personal Satisfaction
Anxiety
Young Adult
medicine
Humans
0501 psychology and cognitive sciences
Longitudinal Studies
Students
General Psychology
Self-efficacy
Depression
Mechanism (biology)
05 social sciences
Stressor
Daily stress
Mental health
Self Efficacy
Cross lagged
Female
medicine.symptom
Psychology
Stress, Psychological
Clinical psychology
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 1558691X and 00332941
- Volume :
- 122
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Psychological Reports
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....a39742cc26fb40eafe69117981f0058a