The mediating effect of ethnic identity and cognitive and affective empathy on anxious and depressive symptoms in college students

Objective Anxiety and depression are prevalent among college students, with 34.9% reporting anxiety and 27% reporting depression. This study examined relationships among cognitive and affective components of empathy, ethnic identity, self-efficacy, anxiety, and depression. Participants Participants were 247 undergraduate students recruited from three U.S. universities. Method Structural equation modeling tested two models. The first model examined the outcome of anxiety/depression, predicted by self-efficacy with ethnic identity and empathy as mediating variables. The second focused on anxiety/depression predicting self-efficacy with ethnic identity and empathy as mediating variables. Results In Model 1, empathy and ethnic identity partially mediated the relationship between self-efficacy and anxiety/depression. Self-efficacy was also associated with ethnic identity and empathy. For Model 2 examining the reciprocal relationship, with anxiety/depression as predictor, high anxiety/depression negatively linked with ethnic identity and empathy, and in turn related to lower self-efficacy. Conclusions Findings suggest cognitive and affective empathy and ethnic identity may function as protective factors through enhanced self-efficacy. Findings also highlight the harmful impact of psychological distress on these protective factors. Interventions that strengthen identity development, empathy, and self-efficacy may support mental health and reduce anxiety and depression among college students in higher education contexts.