Behind the Screen, Beyond the Dream: Exploring Mental Health as a Bridge Between Cyber Harassment and Career Aspirations Among University Students

The present study investigated whether mental health outcomes (emotional distress, post-traumatic stress PTSD, suicidal ideation) mediate the relationship between cyber harassment and career aspirations among university students. A purposive sample of 500 university students, including men and women (aged 18 and above), was taken. Standardized questionnaires were used, including Cyberbullying and Online Aggression Survey Instrument (2021 version) (Hinduja & Patchin, 2021), Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) (Henry & Crawford, 2005), PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) (Weathers et al., 2013), Suicidal Ideation Attributes Scale (SIDAS) (van Spijker et al., 2014), Career Aspiration Scale – Revised (Gregor & O’Brien, 2015). The results of mediation through hierarchical regression indicated that emotional distress significantly mediates the relationship between cyber harassment and career aspirations (indirect effect=-0.11, p<.01), while post-traumatic stress PTSD and suicidal ideation did not show significant mediation effects. These findings highlight the prevalent psychological toll of cyber harassment and emphasize the need for targeted interventions and support systems within university settings.