The present study aimed to determine the mediating role of self-control in the relationship between academic stress and mental health among students of Shahid Beheshti University. This descriptive-correlational study employed structural equation modeling, and the statistical population included all students of Shahid Beheshti University during the 2025-2026 academic year. A total of 421 students were selected using convenience sampling and responded to three instruments: the Academic Stress Questionnaire by Zajacova et al. (2005), the Brief Self-Control Scale by Tangney et al. (2004), and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) by Goldberg. Data were analyzed using SPSS-28 and SmartPLS-4 software through structural equation modeling with a partial least squares approach. Findings indicated that mean scores for academic stress, self-control, and mental health were 5.86 (out of 10), 3.42 (out of 5), and 28.70 (out of 84), respectively. Correlation coefficients revealed that academic stress had a significant negative relationship with self-control (-0.47), a significant positive relationship with mental health (0.56), and self-control had a significant negative relationship with mental health (-0.49). Furthermore, results of the structural equation model showed that self-control played a significant partial mediating role in the relationship between academic stress and mental health (β=0.197, p<0.001), and the research model explained 53% of the variance in mental health. Based on the findings, academic stress negatively affects students' mental health both directly and through the weakening of self-control. Therefore, designing intervention programs to reduce academic stress and enhance self-control skills among students is recommended.
Type of Study:
Research |
Subject:
Special Received: 2026/04/9 | Accepted: 2025/10/26 | Published: 2025/12/1