Emotion-focused positive rumination and relationship satisfaction as the underlying mechanisms between resilience and psychiatric symptoms

Abstract

More empirical investigation is needed to understand the mechanisms through which psychological resilience impacts psychiatric symptoms. This study aimed to examine the mediating role of emotion-focused positive rumination and relationship satisfaction in the inverse associations between trait resilience and anxiety and depressive symptoms. A sample of 284 Chinese college students were recruited and asked to self-administer questionnaires measuring trait resilience, emotion-focused positive rumination, relationship satisfaction, and anxiety and depressive symptoms. Structural equation modeling revealed that emotion-focused positive rumination and relationship satisfaction independently and jointly mediated the inverse association between trait resilience and anxiety symptoms (data-model fit: CFI=1.000; TLI=1.022; IFI=1.004; RMSEA=.000; SRMR=.014). Relationship satisfaction, alone, mediated the inverse association between trait resilience and depressive symptoms (data-model fit: CFI=1.000; TLI=1.021; IFI=1.003; RMSEA=.000; SRMR=.014). The results suggested possible underlying mechanisms of the psychological benefit of trait resilience. Feasible directions for fostering resilience among college populations were discussed.