Understanding the Link between Psychological Distress and Well-Being: The Role of Hope among University Students

Abstract

The present study examined the relationship among psychological distress, hope and psychological wellbeing of university students in Pakistan. A cross-sectional research design was used to examine the relationships among the study variables. The sample consisted of 250 university students. Convenience sampling technique was used for data collection. Kessler Psychological Distress Scale by Kessler et al. (2002), Trait Hope Scale by Synder et al. (1991) and Psychological wellbeing scale by Ryff and Keyes (1995) were used to collect data. The collected data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The study was conducted to examine the moderating role of hope between psychological distress and psychological wellbeing. The findings showed a significant negative relationship between psychological distress and psychological wellbeing, indicating that individuals with higher psychological distress tended to report lower levels of psychological wellbeing. Furthermore, self esteem significantly moderated the relationship between psychological distress and psychological wellbeing. The findings suggest that psychological distress is negatively associated with psychological well-being, while hope is positively associated with well-being. The results further show that hope plays a significant moderating role, indicating that higher hope may reduce the negative impact of psychological distress on psychological well-being. These findings highlight the importance of promoting hope among university students to support their psychological well-being.