Mediating Role of Coping Style in the Relationship between Psychological Capital and Depression among Self-harming Students

Background: Self-inflicted harm in the younger population is a significant matter of public health, entailing numerous physical, psychological, and societal detriments. Objectives: The present study aimed to assess the mediating role of coping style in the relationship between psychological capital and depression in adolescents engaged in self-harming behaviors. Methods: The current study utilized a descriptive correlational, cross-sectional design, employing structural equation modeling. The target population consisted of adolescents engaged in self-harming in Tehran from April to November 2023. The purposive sampling method was employed to select a cohort of 145 adolescents engaged in self-harming. The research tools comprised the Beck Depression Inventory-II, the coping strategies questionnaire, and the Luthans Psychological Capital Questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were analyzed using SPSS software (version 27), while the path coefficient between variables was conducted using SmartPLS software (version 4). Results: Based on the results, hope exerted a favorable and notable impact on some factors, including attracting social support, cognitive assessment, emotional restraint, and physical restraint (P 0.05). Nonetheless, this component had a detrimental impact on depression (β=-0.282; P 0.001). In a similar vein, optimism demonstrated a significant and positive effect on attracting social support, emotional restraint, problem-solving, and physical restraint (P 0.05). Conclusion: Considering the favorable effect of psychological resources on how individuals deal with challenges, it is advisable to organize training programs within educational institutions and counseling centers, focusing on highlighting the role of coping strategies.