Mental Resilience Enhances the Well-Being of Singaporean College Students Through Reducing Burnout

Mental resilience is considered as an important factor that allows individuals to cope with stressors and setbacks, though its components may vary depending on cultural contexts. Study 1 (N = 107) validated and examined the factor structure of a widely-used resilience measure (Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale; CD-RISC) in the Singaporean context, and subsequently used it to test if the longitudinal relationship between resilience and psychological distress among college students would be mediated by academic burnout (Study 2). CD-RISC was correlated with perceived stress, social support, mental health and academic burnout in the expected directions. A 5-factor model was uncovered, interpreted as Approach Coping, Self-belief, Effort, Internal/ Interpersonal Resources, and Spirituality. Results of Study 2 (N = 97) showed that all variables were significantly correlated over time, demonstrating temporal stability. Mediational analyses showed that resilience predicted lower levels of academic burnout, which in turn led to lower psychological distress approximately eight weeks later. The findings show that CD-RISC is a valid research tool in the Singaporean context, although the factors did not replicate those reported in previous studies. The findings also position resilience as a key candidate for promoting mental health among college students through interventions and programs.