Positive affect is indirectly related to symptoms of anxiety in tertiary education students via coping resources

Objective: Mental illnesses disproportionately affect young people, and tertiary education students experience higher levels of mental illness compared to other young people. Preventive strategies would be useful for improving tertiary students’ mental health. Method: The current study utilises structural equation modelling in order to measure the indirect relationship between positive affect and life engagement, mindful attention, symptoms of depression and anxiety, and resilience in 1,027 Australian tertiary students. Results: Positive affect had both direct and indirect relationships with resilience and symptoms of depression, and an indirect relationship with symptoms of anxiety. The indirect relationships between positive affect and depression and resilience partially depended on mindfulness and purpose in life. Additionally, the pathway from positive affect to symptoms of anxiety completely depended on the relationship between positive affect and mindfulness and purpose in life. Conclusions: The results indicate that positive affect may be useful for improving resilience and reducing symptoms of depression in tertiary students but may only alleviate symptoms of anxiety through its relationship with coping resources.