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

Background Depression 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. 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.