The relationship between COVID-19 blues, grit, self-efficacy, and life satisfaction of the University Students in Tourism-Related Departments

This study aims to examine the impact of grit and self-efficacy on life satisfaction among college students majoring in hotel, aviation, and tourism, and to explore the mediating effect of self-efficacy in the relationship between grit and life satisfaction. A survey was conducted among 230 undergraduate students from both two-year and four-year universities, with 216 valid responses utilized for analysis. Data collected through the survey were analyzed using AMOS 18.0 and SPSS 18.0 software. The results indicate that grit positively influences self-efficacy and life satisfaction. Additionally, self-efficacy positively influences life satisfaction. The mediating effect of self-efficacy in the relationship between grit and life satisfaction was confirmed. It is interpreted that grit positively impacted students, enabling them to persevere and support themselves during the prolonged pandemic, when short-term employment outcomes were challenging. In conclusion, there is a likelihood that individuals with higher self-belief tend to view life with a more positive attitude and experience greater satisfaction. This study contributes by attempting to understand the life satisfaction of college students experiencing COVID-19 blues and providing foundational data on grit and self-efficacy as variables to enhance life satisfaction.