Psychological resilience and depression among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic: The mediating role of self-forgiveness and the moderating role of isolation

Previous research has consistently reported a negative association between psychological resilience and depression. However, the potential impact of other variables, such as self-forgiveness and isolation, on this relationship remains unexplored. The aim of this study was to investigate the mediating role of self-forgiveness and the moderating role of isolation in the association between psychological resilience and depression among college students in China. A total of 1,274 college students in China completed a screening questionnaire that included measures of psychological resilience, self-forgiveness, depression, and isolation. After excluding invalid data, 1,220 valid responses were used for the moderated mediation analysis. The results of the mediation analysis indicated that self-forgiveness had a significant mediating effect on the relationship between psychological resilience and depression (ES = - .40). Furthermore, the moderated mediation analysis revealed that isolation significantly moderated the first half of the mediating path and the direct path of the mediating model. These results provided a theoretical foundation for enhancing individual psychological resilience and self-forgiveness as coping mechanisms to manage depression in negative situations, as well as highlighting the negative impact of isolation on individual mental health. Moreover, the findings highlighted the importance of emphasizing the cultivation of psychological resilience and self-forgiveness as integral components of therapeutic programs to optimize their efficacy.