Relationship between Optimism and Psychological Distress for University Students: The Mediating Role of Perceived Academic Control

Introduction Whereas the beginning of academic life is favorable for a group of students, for some the entrance to university had been accompanied with stressful experiences (Zajacova and et al, 2005). Research has reported that students suffer from high level of psychological distress in this period (cook, 2006; Andrews, 2004). Psychological distress is an expression synonymous with pressure, stress (Ridner, 2004) and consists of depression and anxiety symptoms (Mirowsky and Ross, 2002) which brings about a lot of negative effects on student's functions (Ruthig and et al, 2008). One of the psychological resources that can protect students against the mental illnesses and one of the most important human mental potencies that has been assigned a specific position in psychology is optimism (Seligman, 2005). Optimism is a propensity in a person, according to which, one hopes that best results will occur in the future (Carver and Scheier, 2002) and gives people more chance to experience a decrease in stress and depression(Brissette and et al, 2002). Another effective factor in psychological health which is one of the adaptive variables with optimism that increases cognitive actions and students, commitment for achieving degrees and accomplishing academic course is perceived academic control (Ruthig and et al, 2009) that refers to a belief in one's capacity that influences or controls academic outcomes. Pery (2001) believes perceived academic control increases students, autonomy and responsibility, as a result it causes academic successes. Optimistic students have high perceived academic control (Stupnisky and et al, 2012) and different levels of which is a good predictor for anxiety and depression (Stupnisky and et al, 2012; You and Kang, 2014). Studies have reported gender differences in anxiety and depression (Mirowsky and Ross, 1995; McDonough and Strohschein, 2003) whereas significant difference in the optimism has not been reported in both sexes (Shokri, 1387, Lavasani, 1392). Considering the existing literature, the purpose of this research was to examine the mediating role of the perceived academic control in the relationship between optimism and psychological distress among university students.
Research questions 1-Is there a negative correlation between optimism with psychological distress? 2-Is there a positive correlation between optimism with perceived academic control? 3-Is there a negative correlation between perceived academic control with psychological distress? 4- Does erceived academic control mediate the relationship between optimism and psychological distress? 5- Dose gender moderate the mediating role of perceived academic control in the relationship between optimism and psychological distress?
Method Current study was descriptive and correlational and has used structural equation modeling for examining the relationship between constructs and measured variables in the suggested conceptual model. Among male and female students of Shahid Beheshti University a sample consisting of 360 students (119 males, 241 females) were asked to fill out the Life Orientation Test- Revised (LOT-R), perceived academic control scale and depression, anxiety and stress scale (Dass-42) as the research instruments.
Results Correlation matrix results in both genders showed that the relationship between optimism with academic control and academic responsibility was positive and significant and the relationship between optimism with depression, anxiety and stress was negative and significant and the relationship between academic control and academic responsibility with depression, anxiety and stress was negative and significant. Finally, the relationship between academic control and academic responsibility was negative and significant.The results of path coefficients comparison for both genders showed that among female students in comparison with male students, the correlation between optimism and perceived academic control was more considerable statistically.
Discussion Review of fitness indices of suggested model showed that the proposed model had a very good fitness with data and according to the findings of previous studies, was explainable. Carver and et al (2010) believed optimism indicates a generalized expectation and according to which, an individual feels favorable results occur when facing the problems. In this course, Scheier and et al (2002) believed that decreasing the optimism against the events is accompanied with pressure, anxiety and depression. Scheier and Carver (1985) and Solberg and Segerstrom (2010) showed optimist people hope to perceive favorable results and insist on achieving their own purposes. Because optimist people can have control over the events, students who have powerful emotions in perceived academic control can manage success and failure. Thus, they have more motivations to achieve the positive outcomes and have autonomy and self-monitoring strategies in life that protect them against the depression, anxiety and stress. Also, sexual equivalence test results for the proposed model was explainable based on structural weighs option, according to priority of orientation, based on self-improvement among female students who intend to improve and modify when facing frustrating events.