Abstract
Grit is a construct that represents perseverance to pursue goals in the face of hardship. Research on grit has predominately focused on the relevance of the construct for academic and educational outcomes, but an emerging body of evidence suggests grit may represent a factor that offers protection from negative mental health outcomes that arise as a consequence of negative life experiences. The primary goal of the current investigation was to examine whether the association between negative life events and emotional and behavioral functioning was moderated by dimensions of grit. Data were collected from 422 undergraduate student participants using self-report measures. Path analyses revealed that number of environmental stressors was positively associated current depression, anxiety, alcohol use, and drug use. The association between environmental stressors and depression was moderated by consistency of interest such that the relationship between environmental stressors and depression was stronger for individuals who reported higher levels of prolonged interest in activities. It is possible that individuals scoring higher on the consistency of interest are prone to cognitive inflexibility, a factor shown to increase risk for depression. Post-hoc analyses explored the role of gender in these relations.
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Kelner, W.C., Hunter, H., McClain, C.M. et al. Dimensions of grit as a buffer on the relationship between environmental stressors and psychological and behavioral health. Curr Psychol 43, 9709–9720 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-05121-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-05121-y