Effects of College Students’ Perceived Stress on Anxiety in the Time of COVID-19: The Chain Mediation Role of Psychological Resilience and Regulatory Emotional Self-Efficacy

Abstract

COVID-19 has changed the way of learning and life of college students. The purpose is to explore the relationship between perceived stress and anxiety, and the mediating effect of resilience and regulatory emotional self-efficacy in college students during COVID-19. 309 students from three colleges were selected as research participants (average age 19.79 ± 1.11 years). SPSS was used to measure the correlation between variables. Amos was used to test the path coefficient and mediating effect of the hypothetical model. The results show that: Firstly, perceived stress has a significantly and positively predictive effect on anxiety. Secondly, psychological resilience and regulatory emotional self-efficacy independently played a significant and partially mediating effect between perceived stress and anxiety. Among them, perceived stress had a negative predictive effect on psychological resilience and regulatory emotional self-efficacy. Psychological resilience and regulatory emotional self-efficacy had a negative predictive effect on anxiety. Thirdly, psychological resilience and regulatory emotional self-efficacy play a chain mediation role between psychological stress and anxiety. Regulatory emotional self-efficacy cannot only directly predict the level of anxiety, but also indirectly predict the level of anxiety by regulating psychological resilience. This study reveals the relationship between college students' perceived stress and anxiety, and the mediating effect of psychological resilience and regulatory emotional self-efficacy in the new time of COVID-19. The chain mediation role of psychological resilience and regulatory emotional self-efficacy reminds college mental health educators that improving students' regulatory emotional self-efficacy is an important way to promote students' mental health.

Examining the association between peer support and English enjoyment in Chinese university students: the mediating role of regulatory emotional self-efficacy

“…This result also confirms the previous findings that there is a close connection between an individual's confidence in their own abilities and the evaluations of others (Caprara and Steca, 2006). Meanwhile, regulatory emotional self-efficacy is effective in alleviating negative emotions and restoring confidence (Li and Xie, 2021), thus perceiving more positive emotions.…”

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The effect of subjective exercise experience on anxiety disorder in university freshmen: the chain-mediated role of self-efficacy and interpersonal relationship

“…Additional researchers have indicated that self-efficacy can influence levels of anxiety through the following mechanisms. Individuals with high self-efficacy exhibit greater confidence in confronting obstacles and demands, enabling them to effectively manage anxious feelings and, therefore, diminish anxiety levels ( Li and Xie, 2022 ). Furthermore, engaging in physical exercise, as a form of proactive action, can bolster personal self-efficacy, boost self-assurance, and foster enduring psychological resilience, thus aiding in the resistance to anxiety-inducing disruptions ( Yang et al, 2023 ).…”

The Mediating Effect of Psychological Resilience between Individual Social Capital and Mental Health in the Post-Pandemic Era: A Cross-Sectional Survey over 300 Family Caregivers of Kindergarten Children in Mainland China

“…It accentuates the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral processes contributing to an individual's capacity to overcome obstacles, maintain mental health, and foster a positive development (He et al 2013). Psychological resilience includes emotional regulation, self-efficacy, optimism, adaptive coping strategies, and utilizing personal strengths and resources (Li and Xie 2022;Süss and Ehlert 2020).…”