Life stress and mental health of Chinese college students in the post-epidemic era: the multiple mediating effects of core and potential psychological capital

Abstract

Abstract Although the threat of COVID-19 has dramatically diminished, its far-reaching impact on college students cannot be ignored. In order to gain an in-depth understanding of how life stress affects the mental health of college students in the post-epidemic era and the underlying mechanism, this study measured the life stress, core psychological capital, potential psychological capital, and mental health of 1497 college students in western China. The results show that life stress is essential in predicting college students' mental health; the core psychological capital and potential psychological capital mediated the relationship between life stress and mental health. These findings enrich the stress theory and reveal the mechanisms by which life stress hurts the mental health of college students, filling a gap in the previous literature. In practical application, this study provides important implications for school administrators to take adequate measures to improve college students' mental health.