Coping style mediates the relationship between psychological capital and depression among senior high school students

We explored the mediating effect of coping style in the relationship between psychological capital and depression in a sample of 367 senior high school students from Shanghai, China. We measured their psychological capital, coping style, and depression using the Psychological Capital Questionnaire for Adolescent Students, the Trait Coping Style Questionnaire, and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. The results show that psychological capital and positive coping were significantly and positively correlated, psychological capital and positive coping were significantly and negatively related to negative coping and depression, and negative coping and depression were significantly and positively correlated. After controlling for school type, grade, and gender, both positive and negative coping styles mediated the association between psychological capital and depression. The results indicate the importance of high levels of psychological capital and positive coping for preventing and alleviating depression in senior high school students.