Modeling Adolescents’ Psychological Well-Being Based on Self-Esteem and Emotional Intelligence: The Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation and the Moderating Role of Family Functioning
Keywords:
Psychological well-being, self-esteem, emotional intelligence, emotion regulation, family functioning, adolescentsAbstract
The present study aimed to model adolescents’ psychological well-being based on self-esteem and emotional intelligence, with the mediating role of emotion regulation and the moderating role of family functioning. This descriptive-correlational study used structural equation modeling. The statistical population consisted of adolescents aged 15–18 years enrolled in upper-secondary schools in Tehran during the 2025–2026 academic year, from whom 420 participants were selected using multistage cluster sampling. Data were collected using the Ryff Psychological Well-Being Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Schutte Emotional Intelligence Scale, Gross and John Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, and McMaster Family Assessment Device. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlations, confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modeling, bootstrapping with 5,000 resamples, and interaction-effect analysis in SPSS and AMOS. Self-esteem and emotional intelligence significantly and positively predicted emotion regulation (β = 0.24 and β = 0.46, respectively; p < 0.001). Self-esteem (β = 0.29), emotional intelligence (β = 0.31), emotion regulation (β = 0.27), and family functioning (β = 0.22) also had significant positive direct effects on psychological well-being (p < 0.001). The indirect effect of self-esteem on psychological well-being through emotion regulation was β = 0.065, and the corresponding indirect effect of emotional intelligence was β = 0.124; both were statistically significant. The interaction effects of self-esteem × family functioning (β = 0.11, p = 0.002), emotional intelligence × family functioning (β = 0.14, p < 0.001), and emotion regulation × family functioning (β = 0.09, p = 0.011) were also significant. The final model explained 62.8% of the variance in psychological well-being. Adolescents’ psychological well-being appears to result from the combined influence of personal resources, emotion-regulation processes, and family functioning; therefore, interventions designed to strengthen self-esteem, emotional intelligence, adaptive emotion regulation, and healthy family functioning may effectively promote adolescent mental health.
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Copyright (c) 1404 Negin Taghados (Corresponding author); Behnaz Moghadam, Atiyeh Barforoush, Zahra Ghazali Biglar (Author)
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