(PS13-B39) The Impact of Affectivity and Mental Toughness on stress, Anxiety, and Depression Symptoms in College Students

College is a critical and stressful period, characterized by emotional demands to which the individual must adjust and that coincides with the age of onset of certain psychological disorders. Previous research has related both positive and negative affect (PA, NA) with stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. Empirical research has demonstrated that a newer construct called mental toughness (MT), is related to PA, academic performance, college students’ well-being, and individual development and adjustment. There is also evidence that MT may act as a buffer against NA, stress, anxiety, and depression. MT is a multifaceted construct developed and studied primarily in sports. Facets or characteristics of those referred as mentally tough include  ability to control thoughts and emotions under stress , quickly recover from failures, remain motivated and persistent despite difficulties, see problems or setbacks as challenges, direct attention toward and remain committed to tasks, and feel competent based on their abilities and resources.  The current study examined the relationships between affect, MT, stress, anxiety, and depression, specifically investigating the impact of MT on the link between affect and anxiety, and depression.   

A sample of 205 undergraduate students were recruited from a midsized university and completed the PANAS-X, DASS-21, and MT questionnaires.  Pearson correlations were conducted between P</span>A, NA, MT total score, MT individual facets, and DASS-21 stress, anxiety, and depression scores. Four multiple regression models were conducted to test how MT and its facets predicted affect, stress, anxiety, and depression (individually). Mediation analyses were conducted to test whether MT and its facets influenced the relationship between affect (PA and NA) and the outcome variables (stress, anxiety, and depression). Correlations between MT, affect, stress, anxiety, and depression were significant, consistent with past findings. MT total score partially mediated the relationships between positive and negative affects and stress and depression. MT total score fully mediated the PA and anxiety relationship and did not mediate the NA and anxiety relationship. At the facet level, MT competence partially mediated the relationships between positive and negative affects and depression. MT control (ability to control thoughts and emotions under stress) facet partially mediated the  NA-stress and NA- anxiety relationships, and fully mediated the PA-stress and PA- anxiety relationships .  

 Our results show MT and its components are protective against anxiety, depression, and stress, in line with extant findings. MT likely acts as a buffer against stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms for those who experience strong emotions, and therefore increased risk of symptoms. Developing interventions aiming to increase individual’s mental toughness may be effective to help individuals ameliorate their stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms and to protect against risk for such symptoms.