El capital psicológico como un factor protector en la salud mental de los estudiantes universitarios de la ciudad de Loja - Ecuador

Abstract

Abstract: Psychological capital is a relatively new construct in the academic area, whose interest is to know if said variable acts as a protective factor in mental health in students. The objective of the study was to evaluate the relationship between psychological capital and mental health indicators, such as anxiety, depression, perceived stress and psychological inflexibility in university students. The sample consisted of 753 university students, 58.6% women and 41.4% men, whose mean age was 20.46 (± 2.33) years. The instruments administered were: Ad-hoc Questionnaire, Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ-12), Depression and Anxiety Scale (PHQ-4), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10); Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (AAQ-II). The results show high levels of psychological capital and low levels of depression, anxiety, perceived stress and psychological inflexibility; A moderate and statistically significant correlation was found between CapPsi with depression and anxiety (r = -0.399 p <0.000), perceived stress (r = -0.460; p <0.000) and psychological inflexibility (r = -0.343; p <0.000); These negative correlations mean that indeed psychological capital can be a protective factor in the mental health of students.