The association of self-efficacy with well-being and ill-being: The possible mediator of coping and moderator of gender

Self-efficacy and coping strategies have been demonstrated to predict well-being and ill-being, respectively. However, the relationships among self-efficacy, coping, and well-being/ill-being have been less clear. This study aimed to examine whether college freshman's self-efficacy could predict their well-being/ill-being through positive coping and negative coping. Self-report questionnaires were administered to 446 college freshmen in China. Results indicated that positive coping mediated the associations of self-efficacy with well-being and ill-being, even after age and the five personality traits were controlled for. However, the mediation effect of negative coping was non-significant. Multi-group analyses indicated that the mediation model did not differ between males and females. These findings suggest that cultivating college freshman's individual resources of coping such as self-efficacy could enhance their well-being. We discussed the implications of these results for promoting well-being and preventing ill-being among college freshmen.