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Anxiety, Affect, Self-Esteem, and Stress: Mediation and Moderation Effects on Depression

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  • Ali Al Nima
  • Patricia Rosenberg
  • Trevor Archer
  • Danilo Garcia

Abstract

Background: Mediation analysis investigates whether a variable (i.e., mediator) changes in regard to an independent variable, in turn, affecting a dependent variable. Moderation analysis, on the other hand, investigates whether the statistical interaction between independent variables predict a dependent variable. Although this difference between these two types of analysis is explicit in current literature, there is still confusion with regard to the mediating and moderating effects of different variables on depression. The purpose of this study was to assess the mediating and moderating effects of anxiety, stress, positive affect, and negative affect on depression. Methods: Two hundred and two university students (males = 93, females = 113) completed questionnaires assessing anxiety, stress, self-esteem, positive and negative affect, and depression. Mediation and moderation analyses were conducted using techniques based on standard multiple regression and hierarchical regression analyses. Main Findings: The results indicated that (i) anxiety partially mediated the effects of both stress and self-esteem upon depression, (ii) that stress partially mediated the effects of anxiety and positive affect upon depression, (iii) that stress completely mediated the effects of self-esteem on depression, and (iv) that there was a significant interaction between stress and negative affect, and between positive affect and negative affect upon depression. Conclusion: The study highlights different research questions that can be investigated depending on whether researchers decide to use the same variables as mediators and/or moderators.

Suggested Citation

  • Ali Al Nima & Patricia Rosenberg & Trevor Archer & Danilo Garcia, 2013. "Anxiety, Affect, Self-Esteem, and Stress: Mediation and Moderation Effects on Depression," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(9), pages 1-8, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0073265
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0073265
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    Cited by:

    1. Quynh Ho, Thi Truc & Gu, Chuanhua & Wang, Lixia, 2022. "Coping strategies and depression among cyberbullying victims in Vietnam: Self -esteem as a moderator," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    2. Omar, Nor Asiah & Nazri, Muhamad Azrin & Ali, Mohd Helmi & Alam, Syed Shah, 2021. "The panic buying behavior of consumers during the COVID-19 pandemic: Examining the influences of uncertainty, perceptions of severity, perceptions of scarcity, and anxiety," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    3. Elena Jiménez-Pérez & María-Isabel de Vicente-Yagüe Jara & Raúl Gutiérrez-Fresneda & Pedro García-Guirao, 2021. "Sustainable Education, Emotional Intelligence and Mother–Child Reading Competencies within Multiple Mediation Models," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-16, February.

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