Speaker
Description
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Introduction and research problem
Anxiety among adolescents is a growing global concern due to its adverse impact on psychological well-being, academic functioning, and overall mental health. In Malaysia, the situation is particularly alarming: 26.9% of adolescents report depressive symptoms, 16.2% experience frequent loneliness, and 13.1% have suicidal ideation (Institute for Public Health, 2022). These figures highlight the urgent need to identify protective factors that can buffer the negative effects of anxiety in school settings, where many mental health challenges first emerge.
Resilience, the capacity to adapt positively in the face of adversity that has been consistently identified as a key protective factor. Studies show that resilience mediates the effects of stress and anxiety, reducing vulnerability to severe outcomes such as suicidal ideation (Yang et al., 2022) and internalizing or externalizing problems (Chong et al., 2022). Importantly, resilience is multidimensional, comprising traits such as perseverance, reliance, meaning-making, and emotional balance. Dimensions like perseverance and grit play significant roles in promoting psychological health (He et al., 2024), while family engagement, supportive relationships, and positive future orientation serve as buffers against anxiety and depression, especially during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic (Liang et al., 2024).
Despite these insights, little is known about how resilience functions in Southeast Asian contexts, where cultural norms, educational pressures, and family expectations may influence coping differently from Western settings. To address this gap, the present study examines whether specific resilience dimensions (meaning, reliance, perseverance, aloneness, and equanimity) mediate the relationship between anxiety and subjective well-being among secondary school students in Sabah, Malaysia. By identifying which dimensions most effectively protect adolescent well-being, this study provides evidence for the design of targeted, culturally relevant school-based interventions to strengthen adolescent mental health. -
Methods
Participants
A total of 604 Malaysian adolescents participated in the study. Of the 603 valid responses, 42.3% were male and 57.7% female. Participants represented diverse ethnic backgrounds, the largest being Kadazandusun (38.9%), followed by Malay (14.4%), Melayu Brunei (11.4%), and Bajau (8.1%). The majority identified as Muslim (59.9%), with others reporting Christian (34.2%), Buddhist (5.6%), and Hindu (0.3%) faiths. Over half (57.4%) reported household incomes below RM4,849.
Instruments
Resilience was measured using the 25-item Resilience Scale (RS; Wagnild & Young, 1988), which comprises five subscales: Meaningfulness, Self-Reliance, Perseverance, Existential Aloneness, and Equanimity. Items are rated on a 7-point Likert scale, with higher scores reflecting greater resilience. Well-being was assessed with the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (SWEMWBS; Tennant et al., 2007), a 7-item unidimensional measure emphasizing eudaimonic and psychological well-being. Items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale, with higher scores indicating greater well-being. Anxiety was measured using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7; Spitzer et al., 2006), a 7-item instrument rated on a 4-point scale, with scores ≥10 indicating clinically significant anxiety.
Data Analysis
Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Version 29. Descriptive statistics summarized demographic variables. Mediation analysis was conducted using Hayes’ PROCESS Macro (Model 4) to test the direct and indirect effects of anxiety on well-being through the five resilience dimensions. Parallel mediation allowed for simultaneous estimation of each mediator’s unique contribution. Bootstrapping with 5,000 resamples generated bias-corrected 95% confidence intervals, with indirect effects considered significant when intervals excluded zero.
3. Results and findings
A mediation analysis using PROCESS (Model 4; Hayes, 2022) examined whether five resilience dimensions mediated the relationship between anxiety and well-being. The analysis of total effect indicated that anxiety significantly predicted lower well-being, B = –0.428, SE = 0.036, t(589) = –11.78, p < .001, β = –0.437, indicating a substantial negative association. Direct Effect revealed that when resilience dimensions were included, the model was significant (R² = .552, F(6, 584) = 119.77, p < .001). Anxiety remained a negative predictor of well-being (B = –0.277, SE = 0.028, p < .001, β = –0.283), suggesting partial mediation. Among resilience dimensions, only Perseverance and Equanimity significantly predicted well-being.
The total indirect effect of anxiety on well-being via resilience was significant (B = –0.151, BootSE = 0.025, 95% CI [–0.203, –0.103], β = –0.154). Perseverance accounted for the largest indirect effect, followed by Equanimity. Meaningfulness, Self-reliance, and Existential Aloneness were not significant mediators. İn conclusion, the findings indicate that anxiety reduces well-being both directly and indirectly. Perseverance and Equanimity emerged as the strongest protective factors, buffering the negative impact of anxiety, while the other resilience dimensions did not significantly mediate the relationship.
4. Conclusions, implications and significance
These results underscore the importance of fostering targeted resilience skills in school-based interventions. Programs that strengthen perseverance, such as goal-setting, problem-solving, and grit training and promote equanimity through mindfulness, emotional regulation, and stress management strategies may help adolescents buffer the psychological impact of anxiety. Given that adolescence is a critical developmental period, equipping students with these protective skills may prevent long-term mental health problems. School-based programs should focus on building perseverance (e.g., goal-setting, persistence skills) and equanimity (e.g., emotional regulation, mindfulness) to strengthen adolescent resilience. Integrating these skills into curricula and mental health initiatives could help reduce the psychological burden of anxiety. The study advances understanding of resilience as a multidimensional construct and identifies the dimensions most relevant in the Malaysian context. By pinpointing perseverance and equanimity as key factors, it provides practical directions for culturally responsive interventions to promote adolescent well-being.
References (Selected)
Chong, W. H., Ng, S. H., Liau, A. K., & Kadir, R. A. (2022). Social–emotional learning, resilience, and mental health in adolescents: A mediation analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 801761. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.801761
Liang, X., Chen, L., & Xu, M. (2024). Future orientation, family engagement, and supportive adults as protective factors for adolescent mental health during COVID-19. Journal of Adolescent Health, 74(3), 385–392. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2023.11.015
Hayes, A. F. (2022). Introduction to Mediation, Moderation, and Conditional Process Analysis: A Regression-Based Approach (Vol. 3). The Guilford Press.
Institute for Public Health. (2022). National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2022: Adolescent Health Survey. Ministry of Health Malaysia.
Institute for Public Health. (2022). Technical report National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2022: Adolescent health survey, Malaysia. Institute for Public Health, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia.
Spitzer R. L., Kroenke K., Williams J. B. W., Löwe B. (2006). A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder the GAD-7. Arch. Intern. Med. 166 1092–1097. 10.1001/archinte.166.10.1092.
Tennant, R., Hiller, L., Fishwick, R., Platt, S., Joseph, S., Weich, S., Parkinson, J., Secker, J., & Stewart-Brown, S. (2007). The warwick-edinburgh mental well-being scale (WEMWBS): Development and UK validation. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 5(1), 63. https://doi.org/10.1186/1477-7525-5-63
Wagnild, G. M., & Young, H. M. (1993). Development and psychometric evaluation of the resilience scale. Journal of Nursing Measurement, 1(2), 165–178.
Yang, Y., Wang, H., & Zhang, Y. (2022). Resilience mediates the relationship between personality traits and suicidal ideation among adolescents. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 898318. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.898318
Keywords: Resilience, well-being, anxiety, perseverance, emotional balance
