The mediating role of self-efficacy and resilience between attributional styles and depression among Iranian university students

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Understanding its psychological determinants is crucial for developing effective preventive and therapeutic interventions. This study aimed to investigate the mediating roles of self-efficacy and resilience in the relationship between attributional styles and depression among students. Method This cross-sectional study was conducted among university students in 2023. A total of 300 participants were selected using convenience sampling. They completed the Attributional Style Questionnaire (ASQ), the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE), the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Data were analyzed through structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the hypothesized mediation model. Results The findings revealed that optimistic attributional styles positively predicted self-efficacy (internal/external) and resilience (global/specific), while no significant direct associations were found with depression. However, indirect effects emerged: the internal/external style influenced depression through self-efficacy, explaining 15% of the variance, and the global/specific style influenced depression through resilience, explaining 35% of the variance. In contrast, pessimistic attributional styles showed significant negative effects on self-efficacy and resilience across most dimensions, as well as both direct and indirect effects on depression. Moreover, self-efficacy (β = -0.25) and resilience (β = -0.27) were negatively associated with depression. Overall, the structural model demonstrated an acceptable fit (CFI = 0.99, RMSEA = 0.062, NFI = 0.98), supporting the mediating roles of self-efficacy and resilience. Conclusion The findings highlight the pivotal interrelationships among attributional styles, self-efficacy, resilience, and depression. The significant mediating roles of self-efficacy and resilience underscore the importance of fostering adaptive attributional styles and psychological resources to alleviate depressive symptoms. Psychology self-efficacy resilience attributional style depression students Iran Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Introduction University students are typically between the ages of 18 and 23, transitioning from high school and leaving behind the structured environment of secondary education to join a small, dynamic, and diverse community. [ 1 ] Students often face significant academic pressures, including stress from exams and coursework, which can lead to feelings of worry and anxiety. Additionally, adapting to new social environments, forming friendships, and meeting societal expectations further contribute to these social pressures. [ 2 ] The growing social and personal development needs of students, alongside their individual aspirations, have increased their overall demands, consequently intensifying the psychological pressures they face. [ 3 ] These psychological and social demands are continually increasing, making adaptation more difficult for many students and heightening their vulnerability to psychological distress and depression. [ 4 ] Attributional style: Attributional style was initially introduced as a key cognitive construct in psychology. It delineates the cognitive predisposition of individuals to attribute causality to events or behaviors, thereby wielding profound ramifications for human motivation and multifarious domains of existence.[ 5 ] In educational settings, learners frequently embark upon expounding the rationales underlying their academic outcomes or accomplishments, a process commonly identified as causal attributions [ 5 , 6 ] Attributional theory posited three distinct causal dimensions of attributional style, namely: internality (internal/external(, stability (stable/unstable), globality (global/specific): The first dimension, discerns whether the individual attributes the cause of success or failure as internal or external to oneself. The second dimension, stability, pertains to the individual's perception of the constancy of the cause over time. Attributes like ability are perceived as stable, remaining consistent over time, whereas factors such as test difficulty are viewed as unstable, liable to change. The third dimension, globality, assesses the extent to which a cause is believed to extend across diverse contexts and is perceived by the individual as pervasive, potentially heightening the risk for the development of helplessness and depression. [ 5 – 9 ] Additionally, Seligman (1991) categorizes these three dimensions of attributional style as permanence (stable vs unstable), pervasiveness (global vs specific), and personalization (internal vs external). Individuals exhibiting a pessimistic attributional style tend to attribute negative life events to internal, stable, and global causes, while attributing positive events to external, unstable, and specific causes. Conversely, individuals demonstrating an optimistic attributional style tend to attribute negative events to external, unstable, and specific causes, while attributing positive events to internal, stable, and global causes. In general, an optimistic attributional style is regarded as conducive to psychological health, whereas a pessimistic attributional style is seen as detrimental to psychological well-being [ 9 – 11 ]. In contrast, according to the hopelessness theory of depression, individuals with a pessimistic attributional style are more susceptible to developing feelings of hopelessness and experiencing symptoms of depression. [ 12 ] According to some studies, students who attribute the causes of negative events to stable and global factors are at an increased risk for depression. A pessimistic attributional style has also been linked to poorer mental and physical health, diminished work performance, and academic underachievement. [ 5 , 13 ] Depression: Depression is one of the most prevalent psychological disorders worldwide and has shown a steady increase in recent decades. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that by 2030, depression will be the most common mental illness across the globe. Given its high prevalence, extensive global efforts have been made to better understand its causes and to mitigate its consequences. In general, across four main dimensions, depression is understood to occur in cognitive symptoms, physiological symptoms, behavioural symptoms, and motivational symptoms. [ 3 ] The primary clinical symptoms of depression, according to the psychiatric criteria presented in the DSM-5-TR, are a persistent depressed mood, lack of interest or pleasure, and reduced energy. These symptoms are often accompanied by reduced appetite, sleep disturbances, negative cognitions about the self, others, and the world, and a diminished ability to concentrate. Furthermore, patients show alterations in cognition and behavior. [ 14 , 15 ] Symptoms that affect people with depression can be worse for young adults who are going through many changes, especially at university. [ 3 ] Beck’s cognitive model highlights the interaction between cognition and depression, emphasizing how negative thinking patterns, attentional biases, and maladaptive memory processes contribute to the onset and persistence of depressive symptoms. These mechanisms, in turn, may lead to cognitive impairments. [ 16 ] Resilience: Resilience is the ability to recover from adversity and return to normal functioning. People with high levels of resilience are likely to have better positive emotional states, be more creative, and have a more positive outlook on life. [ 17 ] Resilience is also a defensive resource that helps people adapt better to severe life challenges, preserve their mental health, recover from traumatic events quickly, and show less vulnerability to depression. Accordingly, individuals with depressive symptoms often show lower levels of resilience.[ 18 ] Previous studies have also established a negative correlation between resilience and depression. People with high levels of resilience are less likely to be depressed. A study carried out in Iran established that participating in a psychological resilience training program in the short and long term enhanced optimistic attributional styles while decreasing the pessimistic attributional styles.[ 19 ] Similarly, another study demonstrated that higher rates of mental disorders were inversely related to resilience that the high incidence of mental disorders is negatively associated with the level of resilience, and psychological resilience is a central aim of psychological treatment in public health crises. [ 20 ] Furthermore, a significant correlation exists between resilience and overall life satisfaction among students. [ 21 ] Self-efficacy: Bandura conceptualized self-efficacy as a person’s belief in their ability to successfully perform behaviors required in specific situations. In educational contexts, it represents an individual’s confidence in managing learning tasks and coping with potential challenges. Differences in students’ levels of readiness and persistence can often be explained by variations in self-efficacy. Self-efficacy develops through experiences such as observing others’ performance, receiving constructive feedback, and managing emotional states like anxiety or fear. [ 22 , 23 ] Learners who perceive themselves as competent are more likely to take advantage of learning opportunities in their environment (e.g., classroom settings) and adjust their behavior effectively. This process reflects a sense of personal agency, guided by setting goals and implementing strategies to achieve them. Such agency is influenced by self-reflective evaluations that reinforce one’s belief in their own efficacy. [ 24 ] As a motivational construct, self-efficacy plays a crucial role in enhancing students’ engagement and learning outcomes. Repeated successes create an expectation of efficacy, which reduces the negative impact of failure. [ 24 – 26 ] A growing body of research has documented the relationship between self-efficacy and mood disorders. Individuals with low self-efficacy are more susceptible to depression, whereas higher self-efficacy appears to protect against depressive symptoms. [ 27 , 28 ] Additionally, evidence indicates that self-efficacy is positively associated with optimistic attributional styles and negatively correlated with pessimistic ones. [ 29 ] Based on the available literature on attributional styles, depression, resilience, and self-efficacy, this study seeks to investigate the mediating roles of resilience and self-efficacy in the relationship between attributional styles and depression. The study hypotheses Hypothesis 1 Higher levels of resilience and self-efficacy are associated with lower levels of depression. Hypothesis 2 Higher levels of resilience and self-efficacy are associated with an increase in optimistic attributional styles and a decrease in pessimistic attributional styles. Hypothesis 3 Attributional styles are expected to have both direct and indirect effects on depression, mediated by resilience and self-efficacy. Research question Previous studies have shown that optimistic attributional styles are negatively correlated with depression, while pessimistic attributional styles show a positive association. However, limited research has examined the simultaneous mediating effects of resilience and self-efficacy in this relationship. Since most previous studies have explored these constructs across different settings and cultures, the present study aims to investigate the mediating roles of resilience and self-efficacy between attributional styles and depression among Iranian university students. Method Design and participants This was a cross-sectional study conducted among university students to assess the relationship between attributional styles, depression, and resilience. A total of 300 students participated in the study (106 men and 194 women). Of the participants, 32.3% were undergraduate students, 55.0% were master’s students, and 12.7% were Ph.D. students. The characteristics of the participants are presented in Table 1 . Table 1 Distribution of Samples (n = 300) Gender Frequency Percentage Female 194 64.67 Male 106 35.33 Educational level Bachelor 97 32.33 Masters 165 55.00 Doctorate 38 12.67 Field of study Humanities sciences 112 37.33 Experimental sciences 106 35.34 Mathematics and Engineering 82 27.33 Sampling and sample size A convenience sampling method was employed. The target population included Iranian university students (particularly from the metropolitan areas of Tehran and Mashhad) aged 18 to 30 years during 2023. The sample size was determined based on the recommendation by Hair et al., suggesting a minimum of 200 participants for structural equation modeling (SEM) [ 30 ]. Due to time constraints and difficulties in collecting data from multiple universities, data were collected online. Students were invited via Telegram groups, and the invitation message included a link to an Iranian platform (Porsa, Irandoc), where participants could read and sign the consent form before accessing the questionnaires. Inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) signing an informed consent form, (2) being enrolled as a student in the 2023 academic year, and (3) being aged 18 to 30 years. Data collection At the beginning of the study, participants were provided with an overview of the research objectives. They were informed that they could withdraw from the study at any time. The study, including data collection, followed the ethical guidelines set by our research committee. No financial compensation was offered to the participants for their participation. Participants then proceeded to complete the online questionnaires. Measures In the present study, the Persian validated versions of all questionnaires were used, In addition to a demographic questionnaire collecting information on participants’ age, gender, and education, the following questionnaires were administered: Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) : The CD-RISC is a 25-item self report scale to assess the ability of an individual to cope with stress and other adverse conditions of life. All items are rated by respondents on a 5-point Likert scale, which includes: Not true at all (0), Slightly true (1), Somewhat true (2), Mostly true (3) and True nearly all the time (4). The results of Exploratory factor analysis indicated that the CD-RISC represents five different factors: personal competence/tenacity, positive acceptance of change/secure relationships, trust in one’s instincts/tolerance of negative affect, spirituality, and control. The initial validity of the CD-RISC in both general and clinical populations has been investigated, and it has been found to have good internal consistency, as well as convergent and divergent validity and test retest reliability. The psychometric properties of the Iranian version of the CD-RISC were also proper and Cronbach’s alpha was 0.89.[ 31 , 32 ] The current study found a similar alpha value of 0.839 which is well above the threshold. General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE) The General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE), developed by Schwarzer and Jerusalem, consists of 10 items rated on a 4-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (“Not at all true”) to 4 (“Exactly true”). The total score ranges from 10 to 40, with higher scores reflecting greater self-efficacy. The original version demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.89). In an Iranian validation study, Cronbach’s α was reported as 0.80 and validity as 0.61. [ 33 , 34 ] In the present study, the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the General Self-Efficacy Scale was 0.817, indicating good internal consistency. Attributional style Questionnaire : The Attributional Style Questionnaire (ASQ) is a self-report instrument designed to measure individuals’ explanatory styles for positive and negative events across three causal dimensions: internal–external, stable–unstable, and global–specific. The ASQ includes 12 hypothetical scenarios (6 positive, 6 negative). For each scenario, participants are asked to identify the main cause and rate it on a 7-point scale along the three dimensions. Scores for positive events range from 1 (lowest) to 7 (highest), whereas for negative events, the scoring is reversed. The ASQ has been widely used to predict outcomes such as depression, health, and academic or occupational performance. It typically takes about 20 minutes to complete. The Persian version of the ASQ has been validated in Iranian university students, showing acceptable reliability and validity for this population. [ 35 , 36 ] In the present study, the Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for the positive and negative attributional styles were 0.840 and 0.795, respectively, demonstrating acceptable reliability levels. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) The BDI is a 21-item self-report inventory that assesses characteristic attitudes and symptoms of depression. It has been developed in various formats, including computerized versions, a card form, the 13-item short form, and the more recent BDI-II, developed by Beck, Steer, and Brown in 1996. The BDI typically takes around 10 minutes to complete, although participants need to have at least a fifth to sixth grade reading level to fully understand the questions. Internal consistency for the BDI ranges from 0.73 to 0.92, with an average of 0.86. Similar reliability has been observed for the 13-item short form. The BDI shows strong internal consistency, with alpha coefficients of 0.86 for psychiatric populations and 0.81 for non-psychiatric populations. The Persian version of the BDI-II has demonstrated adequate internal consistency (α = 0.87) and test–retest reliability (r = 0.74) in Iranian samples.[ 37 , 38 ] In the present study, the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the Beck Depression Inventory was 0.914, indicating excellent internal consistency. Statistical analyses The collected data were analyzed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient and structural equation modeling (SEM) through LISREL 8.7 and SPSS version 27. Data analysis was performed in two stages. In the first stage, descriptive and demographic characteristics of the sample were examined by calculating measures of central tendency and dispersion (frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation), as well as conducting independent-samples t-tests. The second stage involved inferential statistics, particularly SEM with path analysis, to assess the fit of the proposed theoretical model to the empirical data. Results Characteristics of the study sample A total of 300 participants took part in the study (194 women and 106 men), aged between 18 and 30 years. Among them, 32.33% held a Bachelor's degree, 55.00% had a Master's degree, and 12.67% had a Ph.D. In terms of field of study, 37.33% were from the humanities, 35.34% from experimental sciences, and 27.33% from mathematics and engineering. The demographic characteristics of the participants are presented in Table 1 . Distribution of research variables The Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, along with skewness and kurtosis indices, was used to determine the type of data distribution. Before hypothesis testing, the normality of the data was examined to decide whether parametric or non-parametric analyses should be applied. The results presented in Table 2 indicate that the significance levels for the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test for self-efficacy, resilience, depression, and both optimistic and pessimistic attributional styles were greater than 0.05, suggesting no deviation from normality. Furthermore, the skewness and kurtosis values were within the acceptable range (skewness between − 2 and + 2, and kurtosis between − 3 and + 3). Therefore, it can be concluded that the data for all variables were normally distributed. Table 2 Distribution of research variables kolmogorov-smirnov mean skewness kurtosis Self-efficacy 0.089 0.068 -o.482 -0.233 Resilience 0.106 0.073 -0.942 1.251 Depression 0.105 0.071 1.313 1.778 Optimist attributional style internal vs external 0.126 0.054 1.220 1.389 stable vs unstable 0.117 0.056 0.999 0.867 global vs specific 0.102 0.061 0.810 0.410 Pessimistic attributional style internal vs external 0.094 0.065 0.264 0.275 stable vs unstable 0.112 0.068 -0.567 0.660 global vs specific 0.103 0.062 0.052 1.030 Correlation among Resilience, Self-efficacy, Attributional style, and Depression To examine the relationship between self-efficacy, resilience, depression, and the dimensions of optimistic and pessimistic attributional styles in students, Pearson's correlation was employed. The outcomes are detailed in Table 3 . The results from the Pearson's correlation test revealed the following: First: self-efficacy, resilience, and the dimensions of optimistic attributional style had a significant negative relationship with depression. Second: the dimensions of pessimistic attributional style showed a significant positive relationship with depression. Third: self-efficacy and resilience were positively and significantly correlated. Table 3 Pearson correlation coefficients between the study variables Self-efficacy Resilience Depression correlation mean correlation mean correlation mean Self-efficacy 1 - 0.444 0.001 - - Resilience - - 1 0.000 - - Depression -0.488 0.001 -0.487 0.001 1 0.001 Optimistin attributional style internal vs external 0.369 0.001 0.321 0.001 -0.254 0.001 stable vs unstable 0.398 0.001 0.360 0.001 -0.401 0.001 global vs specific 0.403 0.001 0.378 0.001 -0.381 0.001 Pessimistic attributional style internal vs external -0.205 0.001 -0.173 0.001 0.315 0.001 stable vs unstable -0.261 0.001 -0.226 0.001 0.178 0.001 global vs specific -0.319 0.001 -0.308 0.001 0.424 0.001 Summary of model findings Using the structural equation modeling (SEM), as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 . We examined the mediating roles of resilience and self-efficacy between attributional styles and depression. The findings indicated: 1. As shown in the Table 4 and 5 , The optimistic attributional style in internal/external dimension (P < 0.05, t = 1.97, β = 0.15) had a significant and positive effect on self-efficacy and also in global/specific dimension (P < 0.05, t = 2.05, β = 0.68) had a significant and positive effect on resilience. but in stable/unstable and global/specific dimensions did not show a significant relationship with self-efficacy, nor with resilience in internal/external and stable/unstable dimensions. Additionally, optimistic attributional styles did not have a direct effect on depression in any of the dimensions, but The indirect effect of the internal/external attributional style on depression, mediated by self-efficacy (β=-0.38), accounted for 15% of the variance in depression. and the indirect effect of the global/specific attributional style on depression, mediated by resilience (β=-0.184), explained 35% of the variance in depression. 2. The pessimistic attributional style in internal/external dimension (P < 0.05, t = 3.93, β=-0.21), in stable/unstable dimension (P < 0.05, t=-2.64, β=-0.16), and in global/specific dimension (P < 0.05, t = 2.04, β=-0.12) had a significant and negative effect on self-efficacy. also in internal/external dimension (P < 0.05, t=-3.29, β=-0.18) and in global/specific dimension (P < 0.05, t=-2.22, β=-0.14) had a significant and negative effect on resilience. But in stable/unstable dimension did not show a significant relationship with resilience. The pessimistic attributional style had direct and indirect effects on depression, mediated by self-efficacy and resilience. The direct effect of pessimistic attributional style on depression, mediated by self-efficacy, in the internal/external, stable/unstable, and global/specific styles was β=-0.12, β=-0.16, and β=-0.21, respectively. and The indirect effect of the internal/external, stable/unstable, and global/specific attributional styles on depression, mediated by self-efficacy, was β = 0.30, β = 0.40, and β = 0.53, respectively. Thus The overall effect of the internal/external, stable/unstable, and global/specific attributional styles on depression, mediated by self-efficacy, was β=-0.09, β=-0.12, and β=-0.157, respectively. The direct effect of the internal/external, stable/unstable, and global/specific attributional styles on depression, mediated by resilience, was β=-0.14, β=-0.12, and β=-0.18, respectively. The indirect effect of the internal/external, stable/unstable, and global/specific attributional styles on depression, mediated by resilience, was β = 0.32, β = 0.35, and β = 0.49, respectively. The overall effect of the internal/external, stable/unstable, and global/specific attributional styles on depression, mediated by resilience, was β=-0.105, β=-0.088, and β=-0.131, respectively. 3. Self-efficacy had a significant and negative effect on depression (P < 0.05, t = 5.20, β=-0.25) additionally resilience also had a significant and negative effect on depression (P < 0.05, t = 5.53, β=-0.27) Table 4. Summary of model findings Main hypothesis of the research Standard estimate t-value significance Optimistic attributional style internal vs external → Self-efficacy 0.15 1.97 P 0.05 stable vs unstable → Self-efficacy 0.04 0.12 P >0.05 → Resilience 0.46 1.35 P >0.05 global vs specific → Self-efficacy 0.16 0.48 P >0.05 → Resilience -0.14 -2.22 P <0.05 Pessimistic attributional style internal vs external → Self-efficacy -0.21 -3.93 P <0.05 → Resilience -0.18 -3.29 P <0.05 → Depression 0.20 4.37 P <0.05 stable vs unstable → Self-efficacy -0.16 -2.64 P 0.05 global vs specific → Self-efficacy -0.12 -2.04 P <0.05 → Resilience -0.14 -2.22 P <0.05 → Depression 0.25 5.10 P <0.05 Self-efficacy → Depression -0.25 -5.20 P <0.05 Resilience → Depression -0.27 -5.53 P <0.05 Table 5 Total, direct, and indirect standard coefficients in the mode. Paths Total effect Direct effect Indirect effect Explained variance Optimistic attributional style Internal vs External on Depression mediated by Self-efficacy -0.038 - -0.038 0.15 Stable vs unstable on Depression - - - - Global vs specific on Depression mediated by Resilience -0.184 - -0.184 0.35 Pessimistic attributional style Internal vs External on Depression mediated by Self-efficacy -0.157 -0.21 0.053 0.31 Internal vs External on Depression mediated by Resilience -0.131 -0.18 0.049 0.27 Stable vs unstable on Depression mediated by Self-efficacy -0.12 -0.16 0.04 0.21 Stable vs unstable on Depression mediated by Resilience -0.088 -0.12 0.032 0.18 Global vs specific on Depression mediated by Self-efficacy -0.09 -0.12 0.030 0.19 Global vs specific on Depression mediated by Resilience -0.105 -0.14 0.035 0.24 Assessing the model's fit using established indices, such as the chi-square to degrees of freedom ratio and the Comparative Fit Index (CFI), Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA), and Normed Fit Index (NFI) yielded acceptable thresholds, verifying the model's appropriateness (CFI = 0.99, RMSEA = 0.062, NFI = 0.98) Discussion This study aimed to examine the mediating role of resilience and self-efficacy between attributional styles and depression among students. Our findings confirmed that resilience and self-efficacy act as mediators between attributional styles and depression. Finally, the findings indicated that the optimistic attributional style had no direct association with depression in the internal/external, stability/instability, and global/specific styles. However, in the internal/external style, it had an indirect effect via self-efficacy and in the global/specific style, it had an indirect effect via resilience. Moreover, the pessimistic attributional style had direct and indirect relationships with depression in the internal/external, stable/unstable, and global/specific styles through self-efficacy and resilience. The conceptual model displayed a suitable fit thereby substantiating the research hypothesis. The results of this study support the findings of past research in the same vein and are in agreement with the existing literature. It also reveals the effects of resilience and self-efficacy on the reduction of depression or pessimistic attributional style, and improvement of mental health in students. The research confirms earlier works and shows that the observed effects can be reproduced and that the links between the measured variables are stable. this study confirmed the mediating effects of resilience and self-efficacy which previous studies have suggested. We have provided a statistically proven link to fill a missing piece in current literature, adding both depth to existing knowledge and a starting point for subsequent research in this field. The mediating roles of resilience and self-efficacy between attributional styles and depression among students can be elucidated as follows: Students with higher levels of resilience and self-efficacy are less prone to depression and tend to exhibit a more optimistic attributional style. In contrast, students with lower levels of resilience and self-efficacy are more likely to experience depression and tend to have a more pessimistic attributional style. Students with higher levels of resilience and self-efficacy are less likely to experience depression, as they rely on their internal resources to cope with challenges, and they tend to exhibit a more optimistic attributional style when faced with both positive and negative events. In contrast, students with lower levels of resilience and self-efficacy, who are uncertain about their ability to deal with stress, are more likely to develop depression and have a more pessimistic attributional style. These findings highlight the importance of enhancing resilience and self-efficacy in intervention and prevention efforts for depression. Limitations While our findings show promise, they must be considered in light of several limitations. First, the relatively small sample size may affect the generalizability of our results to larger populations. Second, it was difficult to account for all potential variables that could intervene or disrupt the outcomes. Lastly, our study primarily involved participants between the ages of 18 and 35, which limits the direct applicability of our findings to other age groups. Future directions We recommend that future research on this topic should involve larger and more diverse samples to ensure broader applicability of the findings. On the practical side, these results carry important implications for both the educational system and the management of disorders like depression. Thus, investigating the efficacy of cognitive therapies and interventions designed to boost resilience and self-efficacy may provide helpful ways of improving students’ psychological health and quality of life. Conclusion In conclusion, this study demonstrated the mediating role of resilience and self-efficacy in the relationship between attributional styles and depression among students. Our findings align with previous research and highlight the interconnected nature of these traits, emphasizing the need for an integrated educational and therapeutic approach. adaptability and success in students, educators, therapists and policymakers should prioritize initiatives that emphasize These crucial capabilities. This study sets a foundation for both future research and the development of targeted educational strategies. Declarations Ethics approval and consent to participate The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Islamic Azad University- Science and Research Branch(IR.IAU.SRB.REC.1402.082) All methods were performed by the Declaration of Helsinki. Informed consent was obtained from all participants before they participated in the study. 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Read Writ Q 19:119–137 Aslan I, Polat H (2024) Investigating social media addiction and impact of social media addiction, loneliness, depression, life satisfaction and problem-solving skills on academic self-efficacy and academic success among university students. Front Public Health 12:1359691 Liu W, Zhang R, Wang H, Rule A, Wang M, Abbey C et al (2024) Association between anxiety, depression symptoms, and academic burnout among Chinese students: The mediating role of resilience and self-efficacy. BMC Psychol 12(1):335 Nasrabad-Sofla J, Kadivar P, Sorami G (2020) The mediating role of self-efficacy in the relationship between attachment styles and attributional styles with students’ academic achievement. Educational Psychol Q 16(57):97–118 Persian Hair JF, Black WC, Babin BJ, Anderson RE (2010) Multivariate Data Analysis, 7th edn. Pearson, New York Connor KM, Davidson JR (2003) Development of a new resilience scale: The Connor-Davidson resilience scale (CD‐RISC). Depress Anxiety 18(2):76–82 Mohammadkhani S, Foroutan A, Akbari M, Shahbahrami M (2022) Emotional schemas and psychological distress: The mediating role of resilience and cognitive flexibility. Iran J Psychiatry 17(3):284–291 Schwarzer R, Jerusalem M (1995) Generalized Self-Efficacy scale. In: Weinman J, Wright S, Johnston M (eds) Measures in health psychology: A user’s portfolio. Causal and control beliefs. NFER-NELSON, Windsor (UK), pp 35–37 Farnia V, Asadi R, Abdoli N, Radmehr F, Alikhani M, Khodamoradi M, Behrouz B, Salem S (2021) Psychometric properties of the Persian version of the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES) among substance abusers in Kermanshah City, year 2019–2020. Clin Epidemiol Glob Health 12:949–954 Peterson C, Semmel A, von Baeyer C, Abramson LT, Metalsky GI, Seligman MEP (1982) The Attributional Style Questionnaire. Cogn Therapy Res 6:287–300 Firoozabadi A et al (2015) Psychometric characteristics of the Persian (Farsi) version of the Attribution Style Questionnaire among Iranian university students. Appl Psychol 9(2):79–101 Beck AT, Steer RA, Brown GK (1996) Manual for the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). Psychological Corporation, San Antonio, TX Ghassemzadeh H, Mojtabai R, Karamghadiri N, Ebrahimkhani N (2005) Psychometric properties of a Persian-language version of the Beck Depression Inventory-Second Edition: BDI-II-Persian. Depress Anxiety 21(4):185–192 Additional Declarations The authors declare no competing interests. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8756776","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":583807630,"identity":"03aee6c2-114e-41e1-935d-a4b1d6f82c49","order_by":0,"name":"Saba Azimoshan","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA7UlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYFACHiA2AGIJIP4AxGzspGhhnAHSwkyUFgaIFmYwm5AW+fazBz/+KNgmJz+7+dljm1/b5PmYGRg/fMzBrcXgTF6yhITBbWODO8fMjXP7bhu2MTMwS87chkcLQ46BhIHB7cQNEglm0rk9txmBWtiYefFoke9/Y/wjAahl/oz0b9KWPbftCWphuJFjJnEAqKUByJBm+HE7kaAWgxvv0iwbQH65kVMm2dtwO7mNmbEZr1/k+3MP3/zx57ac/Iz0bRJAhu389uaDHz7icxgKYGwDkw3EqgeBP6QoHgWjYBSMgpECAKICUGtPkO11AAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0002-1872-7227","institution":"","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Saba","middleName":"","lastName":"Azimoshan","suffix":""},{"id":583807631,"identity":"72fc0958-5d49-453e-b227-19ad66fdbe01","order_by":1,"name":"Maryam Zeinali","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Maryam","middleName":"","lastName":"Zeinali","suffix":""},{"id":583807632,"identity":"9a08baf5-2488-4428-82ff-b7c0f57afaea","order_by":2,"name":"Mahmoud Borjali","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Mahmoud","middleName":"","lastName":"Borjali","suffix":""},{"id":583807633,"identity":"1f118fe4-2950-4dff-a257-776b395454af","order_by":3,"name":"Deniz Fardi","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Deniz","middleName":"","lastName":"Fardi","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-02-01 14:18:25","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":{"humanSubjects":true,"vertebrateSubjects":false,"conflictsOfInterestStatement":false,"humanSubjectEthicalGuidelines":true,"humanSubjectConsent":true,"humanSubjectClinicalTrial":false,"humanSubjectCaseReport":false,"vertebrateSubjectEthicalGuidelines":false},"doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8756776/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8756776/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":102998263,"identity":"f3fbd301-df7f-47ba-93fd-2c97c2a2de11","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-19 12:39:20","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":46966,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eStructural model with standardised path coefficient\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"fig1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8756776/v1/2a54d3f917aa57c086768033.png"},{"id":102998256,"identity":"7fa44d22-13a6-4c11-ada6-56bc78bcf523","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-19 12:39:19","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":40623,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eT-value for all paths in the model\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"fig2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8756776/v1/569e5cad6872ddc821cb2eb5.png"}],"financialInterests":"The authors declare no competing interests.","formattedTitle":"\u003cp\u003eThe mediating role of self-efficacy and resilience between attributional styles and depression among Iranian university students\u003c/p\u003e","fulltext":[{"header":"Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eUniversity students are typically between the ages of 18 and 23, transitioning from high school and leaving behind the structured environment of secondary education to join a small, dynamic, and diverse community. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e] Students often face significant academic pressures, including stress from exams and coursework, which can lead to feelings of worry and anxiety. Additionally, adapting to new social environments, forming friendships, and meeting societal expectations further contribute to these social pressures. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe growing social and personal development needs of students, alongside their individual aspirations, have increased their overall demands, consequently intensifying the psychological pressures they face. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThese psychological and social demands are continually increasing, making adaptation more difficult for many students and heightening their vulnerability to psychological distress and depression. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAttributional style:\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAttributional style was initially introduced as a key cognitive construct in psychology. It delineates the cognitive predisposition of individuals to attribute causality to events or behaviors, thereby wielding profound ramifications for human motivation and multifarious domains of existence.[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn educational settings, learners frequently embark upon expounding the rationales underlying their academic outcomes or accomplishments, a process commonly identified as causal attributions [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAttributional theory posited three distinct causal dimensions of attributional style, namely: internality (internal/external(, stability (stable/unstable), globality (global/specific): The first dimension, discerns whether the individual attributes the cause of success or failure as internal or external to oneself. The second dimension, stability, pertains to the individual's perception of the constancy of the cause over time. Attributes like ability are perceived as stable, remaining consistent over time, whereas factors such as test difficulty are viewed as unstable, liable to change. The third dimension, globality, assesses the extent to which a cause is believed to extend across diverse contexts and is perceived by the individual as pervasive, potentially heightening the risk for the development of helplessness and depression. [\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR6 CR7 CR8\" citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAdditionally, Seligman (1991) categorizes these three dimensions of attributional style as permanence (stable vs unstable), pervasiveness (global vs specific), and personalization (internal vs external). Individuals exhibiting a pessimistic attributional style tend to attribute negative life events to internal, stable, and global causes, while attributing positive events to external, unstable, and specific causes. Conversely, individuals demonstrating an optimistic attributional style tend to attribute negative events to external, unstable, and specific causes, while attributing positive events to internal, stable, and global causes. In general, an optimistic attributional style is regarded as conducive to psychological health, whereas a pessimistic attributional style is seen as detrimental to psychological well-being [\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR10\" citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e]. In contrast, according to the hopelessness theory of depression, individuals with a pessimistic attributional style are more susceptible to developing feelings of hopelessness and experiencing symptoms of depression. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e] According to some studies, students who attribute the causes of negative events to stable and global factors are at an increased risk for depression. A pessimistic attributional style has also been linked to poorer mental and physical health, diminished work performance, and academic underachievement. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eDepression:\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eDepression is one of the most prevalent psychological disorders worldwide and has shown a steady increase in recent decades. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that by 2030, depression will be the most common mental illness across the globe. Given its high prevalence, extensive global efforts have been made to better understand its causes and to mitigate its consequences. In general, across four main dimensions, depression is understood to occur in cognitive symptoms, physiological symptoms, behavioural symptoms, and motivational symptoms. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe primary clinical symptoms of depression, according to the psychiatric criteria presented in the DSM-5-TR, are a persistent depressed mood, lack of interest or pleasure, and reduced energy. These symptoms are often accompanied by reduced appetite, sleep disturbances, negative cognitions about the self, others, and the world, and a diminished ability to concentrate. Furthermore, patients show alterations in cognition and behavior. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSymptoms that affect people with depression can be worse for young adults who are going through many changes, especially at university. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBeck\u0026rsquo;s cognitive model highlights the interaction between cognition and depression, emphasizing how negative thinking patterns, attentional biases, and maladaptive memory processes contribute to the onset and persistence of depressive symptoms. These mechanisms, in turn, may lead to cognitive impairments. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eResilience:\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eResilience is the ability to recover from adversity and return to normal functioning. People with high levels of resilience are likely to have better positive emotional states, be more creative, and have a more positive outlook on life. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eResilience is also a defensive resource that helps people adapt better to severe life challenges, preserve their mental health, recover from traumatic events quickly, and show less vulnerability to depression. Accordingly, individuals with depressive symptoms often show lower levels of resilience.[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePrevious studies have also established a negative correlation between resilience and depression. People with high levels of resilience are less likely to be depressed. A study carried out in Iran established that participating in a psychological resilience training program in the short and long term enhanced optimistic attributional styles while decreasing the pessimistic attributional styles.[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e] Similarly, another study demonstrated that higher rates of mental disorders were inversely related to resilience that the high incidence of mental disorders is negatively associated with the level of resilience, and psychological resilience is a central aim of psychological treatment in public health crises. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFurthermore, a significant correlation exists between resilience and overall life satisfaction among students. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSelf-efficacy:\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBandura conceptualized self-efficacy as a person\u0026rsquo;s belief in their ability to successfully perform behaviors required in specific situations. In educational contexts, it represents an individual\u0026rsquo;s confidence in managing learning tasks and coping with potential challenges. Differences in students\u0026rsquo; levels of readiness and persistence can often be explained by variations in self-efficacy. Self-efficacy develops through experiences such as observing others\u0026rsquo; performance, receiving constructive feedback, and managing emotional states like anxiety or fear. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e22\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eLearners who perceive themselves as competent are more likely to take advantage of learning opportunities in their environment (e.g., classroom settings) and adjust their behavior effectively. This process reflects a sense of personal agency, guided by setting goals and implementing strategies to achieve them. Such agency is influenced by self-reflective evaluations that reinforce one\u0026rsquo;s belief in their own efficacy. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e24\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAs a motivational construct, self-efficacy plays a crucial role in enhancing students\u0026rsquo; engagement and learning outcomes. Repeated successes create an expectation of efficacy, which reduces the negative impact of failure. [\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR25\" citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e24\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e26\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA growing body of research has documented the relationship between self-efficacy and mood disorders. Individuals with low self-efficacy are more susceptible to depression, whereas higher self-efficacy appears to protect against depressive symptoms. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAdditionally, evidence indicates that self-efficacy is positively associated with optimistic attributional styles and negatively correlated with pessimistic ones. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e29\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBased on the available literature on attributional styles, depression, resilience, and self-efficacy, this study seeks to investigate the mediating roles of resilience and self-efficacy in the relationship between attributional styles and depression.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe study hypotheses\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eHypothesis 1\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigher levels of resilience and self-efficacy are associated with lower levels of depression.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eHypothesis 2\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigher levels of resilience and self-efficacy are associated with an increase in optimistic attributional styles and a decrease in pessimistic attributional styles.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eHypothesis 3\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003eAttributional styles are expected to have both direct and indirect effects on depression, mediated by resilience and self-efficacy.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eResearch question\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePrevious studies have shown that optimistic attributional styles are negatively correlated with depression, while pessimistic attributional styles show a positive association. However, limited research has examined the simultaneous mediating effects of resilience and self-efficacy in this relationship. Since most previous studies have explored these constructs across different settings and cultures, the present study aims to investigate the mediating roles of resilience and self-efficacy between attributional styles and depression among Iranian university students.\u003c/p\u003e "},{"header":"Method","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec9\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eDesign and participants\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis was a cross-sectional study conducted among university students to assess the relationship between attributional styles, depression, and resilience. A total of 300 students participated in the study (106 men and 194 women). Of the participants, 32.3% were undergraduate students, 55.0% were master\u0026rsquo;s students, and 12.7% were Ph.D. students. The characteristics of the participants are presented in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDistribution of Samples (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;300)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"3\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGender\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFrequency\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePercentage\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFemale\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e194\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e64.67\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMale\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e106\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e35.33\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eEducational level\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBachelor\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e97\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e32.33\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMasters\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e165\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e55.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDoctorate\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e38\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12.67\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eField of study\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHumanities sciences\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e112\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e37.33\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eExperimental sciences\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e106\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e35.34\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMathematics\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eand Engineering\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e82\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e27.33\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSampling and sample size\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA convenience sampling method was employed. The target population included Iranian university students (particularly from the metropolitan areas of Tehran and Mashhad) aged 18 to 30 years during 2023. The sample size was determined based on the recommendation by Hair et al., suggesting a minimum of 200 participants for structural equation modeling (SEM) [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e30\u003c/span\u003e]. Due to time constraints and difficulties in collecting data from multiple universities, data were collected online. Students were invited via Telegram groups, and the invitation message included a link to an Iranian platform (Porsa, Irandoc), where participants could read and sign the consent form before accessing the questionnaires.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eInclusion criteria were as follows: (1) signing an informed consent form, (2) being enrolled as a student in the 2023 academic year, and (3) being aged 18 to 30 years.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec11\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eData collection\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eAt the beginning of the study, participants were provided with an overview of the research objectives. They were informed that they could withdraw from the study at any time. The study, including data collection, followed the ethical guidelines set by our research committee. No financial compensation was offered to the participants for their participation. Participants then proceeded to complete the online questionnaires.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec12\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eMeasures\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn the present study, the Persian validated versions of all questionnaires were used, In addition to a demographic questionnaire collecting information on participants\u0026rsquo; age, gender, and education, the following questionnaires were administered:\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eConnor\u0026ndash;Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC)\u003c/b\u003e: The CD-RISC is a 25-item self report scale to assess the ability of an individual to cope with stress and other adverse conditions of life. All items are rated by respondents on a 5-point Likert scale, which includes: Not true at all (0), Slightly true (1), Somewhat true (2), Mostly true (3) and True nearly all the time (4). The results of Exploratory factor analysis indicated that the CD-RISC represents five different factors: personal competence/tenacity, positive acceptance of change/secure relationships, trust in one\u0026rsquo;s instincts/tolerance of negative affect, spirituality, and control. The initial validity of the CD-RISC in both general and clinical populations has been investigated, and it has been found to have good internal consistency, as well as convergent and divergent validity and test retest reliability. The psychometric properties of the Iranian version of the CD-RISC were also proper and Cronbach\u0026rsquo;s alpha was 0.89.[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e31\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e32\u003c/span\u003e] The current study found a similar alpha value of 0.839 which is well above the threshold.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eGeneral Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE)\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE), developed by Schwarzer and Jerusalem, consists of 10 items rated on a 4-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (\u0026ldquo;Not at all true\u0026rdquo;) to 4 (\u0026ldquo;Exactly true\u0026rdquo;). The total score ranges from 10 to 40, with higher scores reflecting greater self-efficacy. The original version demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach\u0026rsquo;s α\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.89). In an Iranian validation study, Cronbach\u0026rsquo;s α was reported as 0.80 and validity as 0.61. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e33\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e34\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn the present study, the Cronbach\u0026rsquo;s alpha coefficient for the General Self-Efficacy Scale was 0.817, indicating good internal consistency.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eAttributional style Questionnaire\u003c/b\u003e: The Attributional Style Questionnaire (ASQ) is a self-report instrument designed to measure individuals\u0026rsquo; explanatory styles for positive and negative events across three causal dimensions: internal\u0026ndash;external, stable\u0026ndash;unstable, and global\u0026ndash;specific. The ASQ includes 12 hypothetical scenarios (6 positive, 6 negative). For each scenario, participants are asked to identify the main cause and rate it on a 7-point scale along the three dimensions. Scores for positive events range from 1 (lowest) to 7 (highest), whereas for negative events, the scoring is reversed. The ASQ has been widely used to predict outcomes such as depression, health, and academic or occupational performance. It typically takes about 20 minutes to complete. The Persian version of the ASQ has been validated in Iranian university students, showing acceptable reliability and validity for this population. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e35\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e36\u003c/span\u003e] In the present study, the Cronbach\u0026rsquo;s alpha coefficients for the positive and negative attributional styles were 0.840 and 0.795, respectively, demonstrating acceptable reliability levels.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eThe Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe BDI is a 21-item self-report inventory that assesses characteristic attitudes and symptoms of depression. It has been developed in various formats, including computerized versions, a card form, the 13-item short form, and the more recent BDI-II, developed by Beck, Steer, and Brown in 1996. The BDI typically takes around 10 minutes to complete, although participants need to have at least a fifth to sixth grade reading level to fully understand the questions. Internal consistency for the BDI ranges from 0.73 to 0.92, with an average of 0.86. Similar reliability has been observed for the 13-item short form. The BDI shows strong internal consistency, with alpha coefficients of 0.86 for psychiatric populations and 0.81 for non-psychiatric populations. The Persian version of the BDI-II has demonstrated adequate internal consistency (α\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.87) and test\u0026ndash;retest reliability (r\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.74) in Iranian samples.[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e37\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR38\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e38\u003c/span\u003e] In the present study, the Cronbach\u0026rsquo;s alpha coefficient for the Beck Depression Inventory was 0.914, indicating excellent internal consistency.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec13\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eStatistical analyses\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe collected data were analyzed using Pearson\u0026rsquo;s correlation coefficient and structural equation modeling (SEM) through LISREL 8.7 and SPSS version 27. Data analysis was performed in two stages. In the first stage, descriptive and demographic characteristics of the sample were examined by calculating measures of central tendency and dispersion (frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation), as well as conducting independent-samples t-tests. The second stage involved inferential statistics, particularly SEM with path analysis, to assess the fit of the proposed theoretical model to the empirical data.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec15\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eCharacteristics of the study sample\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eA total of 300 participants took part in the study (194 women and 106 men), aged between 18 and 30 years. Among them, 32.33% held a Bachelor's degree, 55.00% had a Master's degree, and 12.67% had a Ph.D. In terms of field of study, 37.33% were from the humanities, 35.34% from experimental sciences, and 27.33% from mathematics and engineering. The demographic characteristics of the participants are presented in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec16\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eDistribution of research variables\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Kolmogorov\u0026ndash;Smirnov test, along with skewness and kurtosis indices, was used to determine the type of data distribution. Before hypothesis testing, the normality of the data was examined to decide whether parametric or non-parametric analyses should be applied. The results presented in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e indicate that the significance levels for the Kolmogorov\u0026ndash;Smirnov test for self-efficacy, resilience, depression, and both optimistic and pessimistic attributional styles were greater than 0.05, suggesting no deviation from normality. Furthermore, the skewness and kurtosis values were within the acceptable range (skewness between \u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;2 and +\u0026thinsp;2, and kurtosis between \u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;3 and +\u0026thinsp;3). Therefore, it can be concluded that the data for all variables were normally distributed.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDistribution of research variables\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"8\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ekolmogorov-smirnov\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003emean\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eskewness\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ekurtosis\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSelf-efficacy\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.089\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.068\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-o.482\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.233\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eResilience\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.106\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.073\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.942\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.251\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDepression\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.105\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.071\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.313\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.778\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"7\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eOptimist attributional style\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003einternal vs external\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.126\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.054\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.220\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.389\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003estable vs unstable\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.117\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.056\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.999\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.867\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eglobal vs specific\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.102\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.061\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.810\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.410\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"7\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePessimistic attributional style\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003einternal vs external\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.094\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.065\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.264\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.275\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003estable vs unstable\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.112\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.068\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.567\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.660\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eglobal vs specific\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.103\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.062\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.052\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.030\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec17\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eCorrelation among Resilience, Self-efficacy, Attributional style, and Depression\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo examine the relationship between self-efficacy, resilience, depression, and the dimensions of optimistic and pessimistic attributional styles in students, Pearson's correlation was employed. The outcomes are detailed in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e. The results from the Pearson's correlation test revealed the following: First: self-efficacy, resilience, and the dimensions of optimistic attributional style had a significant negative relationship with depression. Second: the dimensions of pessimistic attributional style showed a significant positive relationship with depression. Third: self-efficacy and resilience were positively and significantly correlated.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePearson correlation coefficients between the study variables\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"7\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c3\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSelf-efficacy\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eResilience\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDepression\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ecorrelation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003emean\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ecorrelation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003emean\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ecorrelation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003emean\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSelf-efficacy\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.444\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eResilience\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDepression\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.488\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.487\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"7\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eOptimistin attributional style\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003einternal\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003evs external\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.369\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.321\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.254\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003estable\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003evs unstable\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.398\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.360\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.401\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eglobal\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003evs specific\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.403\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.378\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.381\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"7\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePessimistic attributional style\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003einternal\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003evs external\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.205\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.173\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.315\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003estable\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003evs unstable\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.261\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.226\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.178\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eglobal\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003evs specific\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.319\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.308\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.424\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec18\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eSummary of model findings\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eUsing the structural equation modeling (SEM), as illustrated in Figs.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e and \u003cspan refid=\"Fig2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e. We examined the mediating roles of resilience and self-efficacy between attributional styles and depression.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe findings indicated:\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e1. As shown in the Table \u003cspan refid=\"Tab4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e and \u003cspan refid=\"Tab5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e, The optimistic attributional style in internal/external dimension (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05, t\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;1.97, β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.15) had a significant and positive effect on self-efficacy and also in global/specific dimension (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05, t\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;2.05, β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.68) had a significant and positive effect on resilience. but in stable/unstable and global/specific dimensions did not show a significant relationship with self-efficacy, nor with resilience in internal/external and stable/unstable dimensions.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAdditionally, optimistic attributional styles did not have a direct effect on depression in any of the dimensions, but The indirect effect of the internal/external attributional style on depression, mediated by self-efficacy (β=-0.38), accounted for 15% of the variance in depression. and the indirect effect of the global/specific attributional style on depression, mediated by resilience (β=-0.184), explained 35% of the variance in depression.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e2. The pessimistic attributional style in internal/external dimension (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05, t\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3.93, β=-0.21), in stable/unstable dimension (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05, t=-2.64, β=-0.16), and in global/specific dimension (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05, t\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;2.04, β=-0.12) had a significant and negative effect on self-efficacy. also in internal/external dimension (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05, t=-3.29, β=-0.18) and in global/specific dimension (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05, t=-2.22, β=-0.14) had a significant and negative effect on resilience. But in stable/unstable dimension did not show a significant relationship with resilience.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe pessimistic attributional style had direct and indirect effects on depression, mediated by self-efficacy and resilience.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe direct effect of pessimistic attributional style on depression, mediated by self-efficacy, in the internal/external, stable/unstable, and global/specific styles was β=-0.12, β=-0.16, and β=-0.21, respectively. and The indirect effect of the internal/external, stable/unstable, and global/specific attributional styles on depression, mediated by self-efficacy, was β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.30, β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.40, and β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.53, respectively. Thus The overall effect of the internal/external, stable/unstable, and global/specific attributional styles on depression, mediated by self-efficacy, was β=-0.09, β=-0.12, and β=-0.157, respectively.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe direct effect of the internal/external, stable/unstable, and global/specific attributional styles on depression, mediated by resilience, was β=-0.14, β=-0.12, and β=-0.18, respectively. The indirect effect of the internal/external, stable/unstable, and global/specific attributional styles on depression, mediated by resilience, was β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.32, β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.35, and β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.49, respectively. The overall effect of the internal/external, stable/unstable, and global/specific attributional styles on depression, mediated by resilience, was β=-0.105, β=-0.088, and β=-0.131, respectively.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e3. Self-efficacy had a significant and negative effect on depression (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05, t\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;5.20, β=-0.25) additionally resilience also had a significant and negative effect on depression (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05, t\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;5.53, β=-0.27)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTable 4.\u003c/strong\u003e Summary of model findings\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"632\" class=\"fr-table-selection-hover\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"3\" style=\"width: 274px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMain hypothesis of the research\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 148px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStandard estimate\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 105px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003et-value\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 105px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003esignificance\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"6\" style=\"width: 632px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOptimistic attributional style\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 105px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003einternal\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003evs\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eexternal\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 56px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026rarr;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 112px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSelf-efficacy\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 148px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.15\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 105px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.97\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 105px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP \u0026lt;0.05\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 56px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026rarr;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 112px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eResilience\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 148px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.07\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 105px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.88\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 105px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP \u0026gt;0.05\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 105px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003estable\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003evs\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eunstable\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 56px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026rarr;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 112px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSelf-efficacy\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 148px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.04\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 105px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.12\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 105px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP \u0026gt;0.05\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 56px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026rarr;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 112px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eResilience\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 148px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.46\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 105px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.35\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 105px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP \u0026gt;0.05\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 105px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eglobal\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003evs\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003especific\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 56px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026rarr;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 112px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSelf-efficacy\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 148px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.16\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 105px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.48\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 105px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP \u0026gt;0.05\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 56px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026rarr;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 112px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eResilience\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 148px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-0.14\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 105px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-2.22\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 105px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP \u0026lt;0.05\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"6\" style=\"width: 632px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePessimistic attributional style\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"3\" style=\"width: 105px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003einternal\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003evs\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eexternal\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 56px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026rarr;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 112px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSelf-efficacy\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 148px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-0.21\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 105px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-3.93\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 105px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP \u0026lt;0.05\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 56px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026rarr;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 112px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eResilience\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 148px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-0.18\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 105px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-3.29\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 105px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP \u0026lt;0.05\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 56px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026rarr;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 112px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDepression\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 148px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.20\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 105px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4.37\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 105px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP \u0026lt;0.05\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 105px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003estable\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003evs\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eunstable\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 56px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026rarr;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 112px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSelf-efficacy\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 148px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-0.16\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 105px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-2.64\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 105px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP \u0026lt;0.05\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 56px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026rarr;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 112px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eResilience\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 148px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-0.12\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 105px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-1.90\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 105px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP \u0026gt;0.05\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"3\" style=\"width: 105px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eglobal\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003evs\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003especific\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 56px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026rarr;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 112px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSelf-efficacy\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 148px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-0.12\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 105px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-2.04\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 105px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP \u0026lt;0.05\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 56px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026rarr;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 112px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eResilience\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 148px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-0.14\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 105px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-2.22\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 105px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP \u0026lt;0.05\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 56px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026rarr;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 112px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDepression\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 148px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.25\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 105px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5.10\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 105px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP \u0026lt;0.05\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 105px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSelf-efficacy\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 56px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026rarr;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 112px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDepression\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 148px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-0.25\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 105px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-5.20\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 105px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP \u0026lt;0.05\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 105px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eResilience\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 56px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026rarr;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 112px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDepression\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 148px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-0.27\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 105px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-5.53\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 105px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP \u0026lt;0.05\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab5\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 5\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTotal, direct, and indirect standard coefficients in the mode.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"5\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePaths\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTotal effect\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDirect effect\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIndirect effect\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eExplained variance\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"5\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eOptimistic attributional style\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eInternal vs External\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eon Depression mediated\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eby Self-efficacy\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.038\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.038\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.15\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eStable vs unstable\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eon Depression\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGlobal vs specific\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eon Depression mediated\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eby Resilience\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.184\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.184\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.35\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"5\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePessimistic attributional style\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eInternal vs External\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eon Depression mediated\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eby Self-efficacy\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.157\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.21\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.053\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.31\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eInternal vs External\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eon Depression mediated\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eby Resilience\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.131\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.18\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.049\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.27\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eStable vs unstable\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eon Depression mediated\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eby Self-efficacy\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.16\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.04\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.21\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eStable vs unstable\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eon Depression mediated\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eby Resilience\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.088\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.032\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.18\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGlobal vs specific\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eon Depression mediated\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eby Self-efficacy\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.09\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.030\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.19\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGlobal vs specific\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eon Depression mediated\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eby Resilience\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.105\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.14\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.035\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.24\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAssessing the model's fit using established indices, such as the chi-square to degrees of freedom ratio and the Comparative Fit Index (CFI), Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA), and Normed Fit Index (NFI) yielded acceptable thresholds, verifying the model's appropriateness (CFI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.99, RMSEA\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.062, NFI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.98)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study aimed to examine the mediating role of resilience and self-efficacy between attributional styles and depression among students. Our findings confirmed that resilience and self-efficacy act as mediators between attributional styles and depression. Finally, the findings indicated that the optimistic attributional style had no direct association with depression in the internal/external, stability/instability, and global/specific styles. However, in the internal/external style, it had an indirect effect via self-efficacy and in the global/specific style, it had an indirect effect via resilience. Moreover, the pessimistic attributional style had direct and indirect relationships with depression in the internal/external, stable/unstable, and global/specific styles through self-efficacy and resilience. The conceptual model displayed a suitable fit thereby substantiating the research hypothesis.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe results of this study support the findings of past research in the same vein and are in agreement with the existing literature. It also reveals the effects of resilience and self-efficacy on the reduction of depression or pessimistic attributional style, and improvement of mental health in students. The research confirms earlier works and shows that the observed effects can be reproduced and that the links between the measured variables are stable. this study confirmed the mediating effects of resilience and self-efficacy which previous studies have suggested. We have provided a statistically proven link to fill a missing piece in current literature, adding both depth to existing knowledge and a starting point for subsequent research in this field.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe mediating roles of resilience and self-efficacy between attributional styles and depression among students can be elucidated as follows: Students with higher levels of resilience and self-efficacy are less prone to depression and tend to exhibit a more optimistic attributional style. In contrast, students with lower levels of resilience and self-efficacy are more likely to experience depression and tend to have a more pessimistic attributional style. Students with higher levels of resilience and self-efficacy are less likely to experience depression, as they rely on their internal resources to cope with challenges, and they tend to exhibit a more optimistic attributional style when faced with both positive and negative events. In contrast, students with lower levels of resilience and self-efficacy, who are uncertain about their ability to deal with stress, are more likely to develop depression and have a more pessimistic attributional style. These findings highlight the importance of enhancing resilience and self-efficacy in intervention and prevention efforts for depression.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec20\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eLimitations\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhile our findings show promise, they must be considered in light of several limitations. First, the relatively small sample size may affect the generalizability of our results to larger populations. Second, it was difficult to account for all potential variables that could intervene or disrupt the outcomes. Lastly, our study primarily involved participants between the ages of 18 and 35, which limits the direct applicability of our findings to other age groups.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec21\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eFuture directions\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eWe recommend that future research on this topic should involve larger and more diverse samples to ensure broader applicability of the findings. On the practical side, these results carry important implications for both the educational system and the management of disorders like depression. Thus, investigating the efficacy of cognitive therapies and interventions designed to boost resilience and self-efficacy may provide helpful ways of improving students\u0026rsquo; psychological health and quality of life.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eIn conclusion, this study demonstrated the mediating role of resilience and self-efficacy in the relationship between attributional styles and depression among students. Our findings align with previous research and highlight the interconnected nature of these traits, emphasizing the need for an integrated educational and therapeutic approach. adaptability and success in students, educators, therapists and policymakers should prioritize initiatives that emphasize These crucial capabilities. This study sets a foundation for both future research and the development of targeted educational strategies.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthics approval and consent to participate\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Islamic Azad University- Science and Research Branch(IR.IAU.SRB.REC.1402.082) All methods were performed by the Declaration of Helsinki. Informed consent was obtained from all participants before they participated in the study.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent for publication\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot applicable\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompeting interests\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors declare that they have no competing interests\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNone.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePaton C, Roy A, Purandare K, Rendora O, Barnes TR (2022) Prescribing antipsychotic medication for adults with intellectual disability: Shared responsibilities between mental health services and primary care. BJPsych Bull 46(6):311\u0026ndash;315\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMoran R, Gutman LM (2021) Mental health training to improve communication with children and adolescents: A process evaluation. J Clin Nurs 30(3\u0026ndash;4):415\u0026ndash;432\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMachado FP, Soares MH, Oliveira KL, Machado RCBR, Farinasso ALC, Lu\u0026iacute;s MAV (2024) University Student Depression Inventory, Brazilian Version, Construct Assessment. Rev Bras Enferm 77(3):e20230232\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePatabendige M, Athulathmudali SR, Chandrasinghe SK (2020) Mental health problems during pregnancy and the postpartum period: A multicenter knowledge assessment survey among healthcare providers. J Pregnancy 2020:1\u0026ndash;7\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSpomer C (2022) Attributional styles of community college students on academic probation [dissertation]. Phoenix (AZ): Grand Canyon University; Available from: ProQuest Dissertations \u0026amp; Theses Global (No. 29390908)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWeiner B (2018) The legacy of an attribution approach to motivation and emotion: A no-crisis zone. Motiv Sci 4(1):4\u0026ndash;14\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSong J, Kim S, Bong M (2020) Controllability attribution as a mediator in the effect of mindset on achievement goal adoption following failure. Front Psychol 10:1\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGraham S (2020) An attributional theory of motivation. 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Depress Anxiety 21(4):185\u0026ndash;192\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"Islamic Azad University Roudehen Branch","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"self-efficacy, resilience, attributional style, depression, students, Iran","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8756776/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8756776/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003ch2\u003eBackground\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eDepression is a common mental health concern among university students. Understanding its psychological determinants is crucial for developing effective preventive and therapeutic interventions. This study aimed to investigate the mediating roles of self-efficacy and resilience in the relationship between attributional styles and depression among students.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMethod\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis cross-sectional study was conducted among university students in 2023. A total of 300 participants were selected using convenience sampling. They completed the Attributional Style Questionnaire (ASQ), the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE), the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Data were analyzed through structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the hypothesized mediation model.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eResults\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe findings revealed that optimistic attributional styles positively predicted self-efficacy (internal/external) and resilience (global/specific), while no significant direct associations were found with depression. However, indirect effects emerged: the internal/external style influenced depression through self-efficacy, explaining 15% of the variance, and the global/specific style influenced depression through resilience, explaining 35% of the variance. In contrast, pessimistic attributional styles showed significant negative effects on self-efficacy and resilience across most dimensions, as well as both direct and indirect effects on depression. Moreover, self-efficacy (β = -0.25) and resilience (β = -0.27) were negatively associated with depression. Overall, the structural model demonstrated an acceptable fit (CFI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.99, RMSEA\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.062, NFI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.98), supporting the mediating roles of self-efficacy and resilience.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eConclusion\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe findings highlight the pivotal interrelationships among attributional styles, self-efficacy, resilience, and depression. The significant mediating roles of self-efficacy and resilience underscore the importance of fostering adaptive attributional styles and psychological resources to alleviate depressive symptoms.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"The mediating role of self-efficacy and resilience between attributional styles and depression among Iranian university students","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-02-19 12:39:06","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8756776/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"ed1988c6-2446-44a4-a8b0-b9b03c3ab996","owner":[],"postedDate":"February 19th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[{"id":63109685,"name":"Psychology"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-02-19T12:39:06+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-02-19 12:39:06","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8756776","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8756776","identity":"rs-8756776","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}