Invisible Threats, Visible Stress: Cybersecurity Anxiety as a Pathway Linking Cyber Threat Exposure to Student Mental Health

The recent pace of digitalisation in the higher education sector has increased university students' vulnerability to cyber threats, thereby creating psychological risks that extend beyond technical and financial consequences. This study examines the mediating role of cybersecurity anxiety in the relationship between cyber threat exposure and mental health among university students. Drawing on Stress and Coping Theory and Technology Threat Avoidance Theory, the study employs a quantitative cross-sectional survey design and analyses data from 563 university students. The hypothesised relationships were tested using Structural equation modelling. The findings indicate that cyber threat exposure significantly predicts mental health outcomes and higher levels of cybersecurity anxiety. In addition, cybersecurity anxiety is significantly associated with mental health and partially mediates the relationship between cyber threat exposure and mental health. These results suggest that cyber threats function as psychosocial stressors that influence student well-being both directly and indirectly through anxiety-related psychological processes. The study contributes to digital well-being and cybersecurity literature by identifying cybersecurity anxiety as a key psychological mechanism linking cyber risk exposure to mental health outcomes. Practically, the findings highlight the need for higher education institutions to integrate cybersecurity education with student mental health support services. The study underscores the importance of addressing cybersecurity risks as part of holistic student wellbeing strategies in increasingly digital academic environments.