The Weight of Tomorrow: Future Anxiety as a Mediator Between Self-Efficacy and Depression Among Final-Year University Students
Abstract
As graduation approaches, senior students face academic pressure and uncertainty about the future, which increases their vulnerability to anxiety and symptoms of depression. This study aims to examine the mediating role of future anxiety in the relationship between self-efficacy and symptoms of depression among senior undergraduate students. This quantitative study included 302 final-year students from University X, who were sampled purposively. The data were gathered by utilizing the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), the Dark Future Anxiety Scale (DFAS), and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Analysis of mediation was conducted using the medmod module in Jamovi. The outcomes confirmed that future anxiety significantly mediates the relationship between self-efficacy and depressive symptoms (indirect effect: β = -0.121, p = 0.005, 95% CI [-0.029, -0.044]). These current findings highlight that future anxiety functions as a key psychological mechanism linking higher self-efficacy to lower depressive symptoms. These findings also emphasize the importance of interventions that strengthen self-efficacy while reducing future anxiety to promote psychological well-being among senior college students.
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.30659/jp.21.2.239-254
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