Other Titles
The Mediating Role of Resilience on Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms: A Study on College Students Residing in the U.S.-Mexico Border [Title Slide]
Abstract
Objective: This study examined the mediating effect of resilience between anxiety and depressive symptoms while controlling for alcohol intake, anxiety, and selected demographic variables.
Method: After obtaining IRB approval, data were collected from a sample of n = 514 students at a Hispanic-serving institution located on the United States-Mexico border from 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, through 2023. The instruments used were the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7) to measure anxiety, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) to measure depressive symptoms, and the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) to measure resilience. Path analysis was used to analyze the mediating effect of resilience on depressive symptoms.
Results: Resilience had a significant mediating effect between anxiety and depression. Anxiety had a positive direct effect on depressive symptoms.
Conclusion: Building resilience skills among students from underrepresented populations is critical in curbing mental health decline. Early identification of students who are most vulnerable to developing mental distress is vital. Institutional infrastructures aimed at building student resilience should be considered a priority for higher education administration. The current findings underscore the importance of developing and increasing resilience among college students, as it can protect their psychological and mental well-being. Assisting students in developing and improving their resilience can lead to academic persistence and success beyond college life. Thus, college administrators must create an environment that enables students to build resilience and access necessary resources.
Notes
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References:
Anderson, J. R., Mayes, T. L., Fuller, A., Hughes, J. L., Minhajuddin, A., & Trivedi, M. H. (2022). Experiencing bullying's impact on adolescent depression and anxiety: Mediating role of adolescent resilience. Journal of Affective Disorders, 310, 477-483. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2022.04.003
Assenza, G., Sancetta, B. M., Lanzone, J., Narducci, F., Ricci, L., Boscarino, M., Marrelli, A., Ciuffini, R., Piccioli, M., Di Lazzaro, V., & Tombini, M. (2023). Resilience predicts and modulates anxiety severity in people with epilepsy. Epilepsy & Behavior, 147, 109390. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yebeh.2023.109390
Bamber, M. D., & Kraenzle Schneider, J. (2016). Mindfulness-based meditation to decrease stress and anxiety in college students: A narrative synthesis of the research [Article]. Educational Research Review, 18, 1-32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2015.12.004
Blackdeer, A., Wolf, D., Maguin, E., & Beeler-Stinn, S. (2023). Depression and anxiety among college students: Understanding the impact on grade average and differences in gender and ethnicity. Journal of American College Health, 71(4), 1091-1102. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2021.1920954
Borges, G., Cherpitel, C. J., Orozco, R., Zemore, S. E., Wallisch, L., Medina-Mora, M.-E., & Breslau, J. (2016). Substance Use and Cumulative Exposure to American Society: Findings From Both Sides of the US-Mexico Border Region. American Journal Of Public Health, 106(1), 119-127. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2015.302871
Cassidy, S., Mawdsley, A., Langran, C., Hughes, L., & Willis, S. C. (2023). A Large-scale Multicenter Study of Academic Resilience and Well-being in Pharmacy Education. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 87(2), ajpe8998. https://doi.org/10.5688/ajpe8998
Coakley, K. E., Cargas, S., Walsh-Dilley, M., & Mechler, H. (2022). Basic Needs Insecurities Are Associated with Anxiety, Depression, and Poor Health Among University Students in the State of New Mexico. Journal of Community Health, 47(3), 454-463. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-022-01073-9
Sigma Membership
Beta Nu
Lead Author Affiliation
Texas A&M International University, Laredo, Texas, USA
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Cross-Sectional
Research Approach
Quantitative Research
Keywords:
Stress and Coping, Public and Community Health, Teaching and Learning Strategies, Psychological Resilience, Psychological Distress, Anxiety, Mental Depression, College Students, Medically Underserved Areas, At-Risk People
Recommended Citation
Torregosa, Marivic, "The Mediating Role of Resilience Between Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms" (2026). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 42.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2026/presentations_2026/42
Conference Name
37th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Conference Year
2026
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2026-07-23
The Mediating Role of Resilience Between Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Objective: This study examined the mediating effect of resilience between anxiety and depressive symptoms while controlling for alcohol intake, anxiety, and selected demographic variables.
Method: After obtaining IRB approval, data were collected from a sample of n = 514 students at a Hispanic-serving institution located on the United States-Mexico border from 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, through 2023. The instruments used were the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7) to measure anxiety, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) to measure depressive symptoms, and the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) to measure resilience. Path analysis was used to analyze the mediating effect of resilience on depressive symptoms.
Results: Resilience had a significant mediating effect between anxiety and depression. Anxiety had a positive direct effect on depressive symptoms.
Conclusion: Building resilience skills among students from underrepresented populations is critical in curbing mental health decline. Early identification of students who are most vulnerable to developing mental distress is vital. Institutional infrastructures aimed at building student resilience should be considered a priority for higher education administration. The current findings underscore the importance of developing and increasing resilience among college students, as it can protect their psychological and mental well-being. Assisting students in developing and improving their resilience can lead to academic persistence and success beyond college life. Thus, college administrators must create an environment that enables students to build resilience and access necessary resources.
Description
Resilience had a significant mediating effect between anxiety and depression. Anxiety had a positive direct effect on depressive symptoms.