Psychological Resilience among Collegians at University of Mosul

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Introduction

The mental wellbeing of university students has emerged as a critical global public health issue. This pivotal transition into academia often exposes students to a complex interplay of internal and external stressors, heightening their susceptibility to psychological conditions such as anxiety, depression, and psychosomatic symptoms. These challenges—ranging from financial burdens and shifting social dynamics to familial expectations—tax students' coping mechanisms across various cultural landscapes. Nevertheless, academic-related pressures, specifically examination stress, performance anxiety, and heavy workloads, remain the most pervasive drivers of psychological distress in the student population. (Guidotti et al., 2025) [1]. According to the 2024 Healthy Minds Study, 38% of students reported moderate to severe depressive symptoms, with nearly one-fifth (19%) experiencing the most severe form of depression. (Park, 2025) [2].

Recent findings indicate that anxiety and depression are prevalent among young university students, with recorded rates of 44.25% (ranging from 15.8% to 82.6%) and 38.4% (ranging from 2.1% to 88.8%), respectively (Agyapong-Opoku et al., 2023) [3]. Consequently, university students are at a higher risk of developing mental health issues when compared to their counterparts outside the academic environment. resilience is essential for university students who must generally adapt to unfamiliar social and academic environments for the first time. During this transition, life becomes increasingly complex and demanding as they encounter various stressors, including academic workload, study-life balance, and financial difficulties. Moreover, they face social challenges and the mounting pressure of personal growth and future employment prospects. (Liu et al., 2022) [4]. Despite these significant psychological risks, not all students mental health deteriorates under stress , highlighting the critical role of psychological resilience which refers to an individual’s dynamic capacity to manage diverse adversities and adaptively navigate external pressures. (Han & Wang, 2022) [5]. Resilience serves as a critical determinant of mental health, reflecting an individual's capacity to adapt effectively to adversity, trauma, or significant environmental stressor. (Almanasef et al., 2024) [6]. Effective coping with challenging circumstances signifies the presence of psychological resilience, which functions as a catalyst for a positive chain reaction, facilitating the mitigation of adversity and the enhancement of favorable outcomes. (García-Martínez et al., 2022) [7]. Prioritizing the understanding and cultivation of resilience has become a central focus of both policy and practice within the higher education sector. (Brett et al., 2023) [8]

Study Design

A quantitative (non-experimental), descriptive-correlational study design was used to accomplish aim of the present study from the period of 15th November 2025to 12th January 2026.

Sample and sampling The study employed a two-stage sampling design. In the first stage, a systematic sampling technique was used to select the primary study sample from the university student population. In the second stage, a purposive sampling technique was applied to specifically include participants who met the criteria related to the psychological resilience variable, ensuring the data accurately reflected the core dimensions of the study. the total sample included 722 student that included 7collages ranging aged between 18-26 years.

Ethical Considerations

Before starting to collect data, letters of approval were obtained from the deanship of the college of nursing, university of Mosul, to obtain a facilitated approval letter. after that, approval letters were obtained from scientific and ethical committee for postgraduate studies at the college of nursing, in addition to obtaining approval from Mosul university.

Tool of the study Part I: This part of the questionnaire contains the four baseline characteristics and information about the participants (age, sex, residence, marital status). While the academic information includes three items (college major, college name, academic stage).

Part II: This part of the questionnaire consists psychological resilience scale adopted from (owaid,2025), which was composed of 40 items. The responses were scored using a 5- point Likert scale: (1) does not apply to me at all, (2) rarely apply to me (3) sometimes apply to me, (4) often apply to me, (5) always apply to me.

Statistical Analysis Using the Statistical Package for Social Science" (SPSS) Version (27) for Windows 10, Both data entry and analysis were completed. Descriptive statistics were applied in the analysis as frequency, percentage, mean, and SD.

1. Low Level 1 0.1

158.72 20.099 605.29 0.000 2. Moderate Level 188 26.0 3. High Level 533 73.8 Total 722 100.0 Freq. = Frequency, %= Percentage, Std. D. = Standard Deviation, x2= chiq square, Table (2) presents the statistical results of the total levels of psychological resilience among collegians at University of Mosul, that 73.8% (533) of the total sample at high level of psychological resilience among collegians at University of Mosul with mean (158.72), standard deviation (605.29), chi-square (1606.10) and high significant p.value (0.000).

Discussion

Table (1), Most of the university students who participated in this study were between 21 and 23 years old, which is considered the typical age range for undergraduate students at the University of Mosul. Male students represented a larger proportion of the sample, which may be linked to the higher enrollment of males in certain scientific and engineering colleges. In addition, the majority of students lived inside the city, a factor that may make it easier for them to attend classes regularly and maintain stronger social relationships compared with students who live outside the city or in university dormitories. The findings also revealed that most participants belonged to scientific specialties, particularly colleges of pure sciences, suggesting greater participation from students in academically demanding fields. Furthermore, a large proportion of students were in their second academic year. This stage is often viewed as an important transitional period in which students continue adapting to university life, academic pressures, and new responsibilities. As expected, most participants were single, since they were generally young adults within the normal university age group. These demographic characteristics may have played a role in shaping students’ psychological experiences and their ability to cope with challenges. The researcher suggests that similarities in age and academic environment may contribute to shared psychological and social experiences among university students. Moreover, living within the city and receiving continuous family support may positively influence students’ psychological adjustment and resilience. The current demographic findings are consistent with the study in Oman conducted by Omar Al Omari et al. (2023) [9], which examined resilience among university students in Oman and reported that most participants were within a similar young adult age group and shared comparable academic and social characteristics. The study emphasized that university students commonly experience similar educational pressures and psychological challenges regardless of demographic differences, which supports the present findings related to age, academic level, and residence. About table (2) ,The findings of the present study indicated that the majority of students at the University of Mosul demonstrated a high level of psychological resilience (73.8%), while 26.0% were at a moderate level and only a very small percentage (0.1%) showed a low level. The chi-square result (χ² = 605.29, p < 0.001) confirms that this distribution is statistically significant, with high resilience being the dominant pattern among the sample.From the researcher’s perspective, this high level of psychological resilience may be attributed to the students’ continuous exposure to academic and environmental challenges, which may have strengthened their coping skills, emotional regulation, and adaptability. In addition, cultural and social support systems in Iraqi society may play an important role in enhancing psychological stability among university students. These findings are supported by recent study conducted in India by Sharma and Verma (2022) [10] reported high psychological resilience among undergraduate students, particularly among those who benefited from strong family and peer support systems.

Conclusion

The current study found that the majority of the sample (21to23 years old) lived Inside the city and made up the largest percentage of the sample. The bulk of the participants with the highest percentage (73.8%) of the total levels of psychological resilience.

Recommendations

The study It is recommended to implement specialized educational initiatives, such as seminars and workshops for students and parents, to underscore the vital link between mental health and academic success, while simultaneously expanding empirical research to investigate psychological resilience across diverse student groups, with a particular focus on the unique challenges encountered by postgraduate students."