Open Access

ARTICLE

Interpersonal adjustment and depression in college students: The mediating effect of core self-evaluation and moderating effect of gender

Siqi Ma^*, Pei Zhang

School of Educational Sciences, Xinjiang Teacher’s College, Urumqi, 830043, China

* Corresponding Author: Siqi Ma. Email:

Journal of Psychology in Africa 2025, 35(1), 135-141. https://doi.org/10.32604/jpa.2025.065759

Received 28 October 2024; Accepted 01 December 2024; Issue published 30 April 2025

Abstract

This study aimed to explore how core self-evaluations and gender influence interpersonal adjustment and depression risk. Participants were 1748 college students (female = 59.73%, male = 40.27%, mean age = 18.71 years, SD = 0.78 years). The students completed the Interpersonal Adjustment Scale for College Students, Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, and Core Self-evaluation Scale. The results of Linear regression and mediated moderated effects modeling revealed that college students with higher interpersonal adjustment and core self-evaluation scores were at lower risk for depression. Core self-evaluation mediated the relationship between interpersonal adjustment and depression in college students for lower risk for depression. Gender moderated the relationship between interpersonal adjustment and core self-evaluation in college students for higher risk for depression in female students. From these findings, we conclude that interpersonal adjustment and core self-evaluation are significant for screening depression risk college students. Moreover, female students may benefit from targeted interventions aimed at their interpersonal adjustment for reducing their risk of depression.

---

Keywords

---