Building Subjective Well-Being Through Resilience: How Trait Emotional Intelligence Shields Students From Depression?

In the modern era, increasing life pressures have placed significant psychological strain on individuals, particularly university students. Many students today exhibit psychological symptoms stemming from academic and life-related challenges. Accordingly, investigating factors influencing subjective well-being offers deeper insight into the psychological mechanisms at play and supports the development of effective interventions for student mental health. This study examines the psychological determinants of subjective well-being among university students, with a particular focus on the roles of trait emotional intelligence and resilience. A quantitative research design was employed, and data from 623 students were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Findings indicate that resilience is positively associated with both trait emotional intelligence and subjective well-being, while depression acts as a significant negative contributor in these relationships. Additionally, perceived social support was found to positively moderate the relationship between trait emotional intelligence and resilience. Interestingly, contrary to initial expectations, perceived social support did not moderate the link between depression and subjective well-being, a surprising result that warrants further investigation. These findings suggest that individuals with higher levels of emotional intelligence tend to demonstrate greater resilience and lower levels of depression, thereby enhancing their subjective well-being.