Self-Efficacy as a Mechanism Linking Daily Stress to Mental Health in Students: A Three-Wave Cross-Lagged Study

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.

COVID-19 Factors and Psychological Factors Associated with Elevated Psychological Distress among Dentists and Dental Hygienists in Israel

“…In accordance with this finding, self-efficacy among rescue workers was found to mediate the association between stress appraisal and compassion satisfaction [31]. Furthermore, general self-efficacy was found as a mediator for the association of daily life stressors with psychopathological symptoms and subjective well-being [32]. One possible explanation may stem from the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory [33,34] which proposes that individuals seek to build up and retain resources as a result of actual or threatened loss thereof, after coping with stressful circumstances.…”

Impact of the Family Environment on the Emotional State of Medical Staff During the COVID-19 Outbreak: The Mediating Effect of Self-Efficacy

“…Besides, our results suggest that improving self-efficacy will help to alleviate the anxiety and depressive symptoms of medical staff during the COVID-19 outbreak. Manipulating self-efficacy is an important way to prevent mental health problems when dealing with stress ( Schönfeld et al, 2019 ). Previous studies have focused on the effects of self-efficacy on the mental health and work quality of medical staff ( Amiri et al, 2019 ; Tang et al, 2019 ), and it suggested that necessary interventions should be implemented to improve the self-efficacy of medical staff.…”

“…However, a low level of self-efficacy harms a person’s psychological well-being ( Cieslak et al, 2008 ; Sachs-Ericsson et al, 2011 ). Importantly, studies have shown that self-efficacy is one of the critical factors that modulate an individual’s emotions, especially feelings of anxiety and depression ( Bandura et al, 1982 ; Kanfer and Zeiss, 1983 ; Cybulski et al, 2017 ; Schönfeld et al, 2019 ). These studies suggested that higher levels of self-efficacy are associated with lower levels of feelings of anxiety and depression.…”

“…The partial mediating role of self-efficacy in some psychological trait relationships has been supported by relevant research ( Haj-Yahia et al, 2019 ). Indeed, it has been found that self-efficacy was a mediator for the association of daily stress and mental health ( Schönfeld et al, 2019 ). However, there has been no study focusing on the relationship between family environment, self-efficacy, and the emotional state of medical professionals during an epidemic.…”

Associations of Self-Efficacy, Optimism, and Empathy with Psychological Health in Healthcare Volunteers

“…Self-efficacy refers to the individuals’ beliefs about their capability to produce given attainments and perform specific tasks [ 25 ]. People high in self-efficacy tend to deal effectively with a variety of stressful situations to achieve their goals [ 26 , 27 , 28 ]. Optimism refers to the generalized expectation of positive vs. adverse outcomes in essential domains of life [ 29 , 30 ].…”