Tracing psychological resources and mental health: the role of sense of coherence, resilience and self-efficacy in young adulthood.

Abstract

Background: Psychological resources such as resilience, sense of coherence (SOC), optimism, self-efficacy, and locus of control are central to adaptive functioning and mental health. However, their developmental antecedents and interrelations remain insufficiently understood.

Methods: Using longitudinal data from a population-based cohort, this study examined a) associations between psychological resources and psychopathology in young adulthood (18-19 years), and b) early predictors of these resources, including psychopathology, social competences, maternal psychopathology, and bonding. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted to test the structure of psychological resources.

Results: Higher levels of resilience, SOC, optimism, and self-efficacy were associated with lower psychopathology symptoms in young adulthood, even after controlling for early risk factors. SOC emerged as the strongest unique predictor, indicating a central integrative role. Exploratory factor analysis supported a dominant general psychological resource dimension. Psychopathology predicted lower psychological resources, whereas maternal factors showed limited and inconsistent direct effects.

Conclusions: Psychological resources are closely intertwined with mental health in young adulthood, with SOC appearing as a particularly central component. These findings underscore the relevance of psychological resources for understanding individual differences in mental health and suggest their potential value as targets for future longitudinal and intervention-based research.