Psychological predictors of resilience among first-year students with elevated levels of anxiety: an analysis of data
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31558/2786-8745.2026.2(9).2Keywords:
anxiety, resilience, personal resources, behavioural factors, first-year studentsAbstract
The transition to higher education is a critical period accompanied by significant psychological strain. For first-year students, this stage is often characterised by heightened levels of anxiety, caused by changes in their social environment, academic demands and the need to function independently. Despite a considerable body of research on anxiety, stress and resilience amongst students, the psychological factors that determine the ability of anxious first-year students in particular to adapt successfully and maintain psychological well-being remain understudied. The aim of this study is to identify the psychological and behavioural predictors of resilience among first-year students with elevated levels of anxiety. A literature search was conducted in leading scientometric databases, including SciSpace, Google Scholar and PubMed. The time frame covered the years 2021–2026. An analysis of the scientific literature has shown that the psychological factors that act as predictors of resilience include: personality traits (emotional stability and extraversion have been identified as the strongest protective factors; neuroticism, by contrast, is a predictor of increased distress, the effect of which is mediated by low levels of resilience); cognitive and regulatory factors (positive appraisal style, positive expectations and self-efficacy; intolerance of uncertainty acts as a negative predictor); coping strategies: a positive coping style is highly correlated with resilience; behavioural factors (physical activity and sleep hygiene). The psychological resilience of firstyear students with high levels of anxiety is a multifactorial construct that depends on a combination of internal personal resources (emotional stability, coping strategies) and behavioural patterns (sleep, physical activity). The results of the analysis of the scientific data clearly indicate that the development of adaptive cognitive schemas and social support are critically important for students’ successful transition from secondary to higher education.
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