Esperanza y salud mental en universitarios del Ecuador: Análisis de regresión estructural

The objective of this study is to determine the explanatory potential of hopeful thinking (PE) in the perception of mental health in university students in Ecuador. For this, a descriptive, explanatory methodology was used through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and cross-sectional. 476 young people participated, 61.5% women and 38.4% men, aged between 17 and 47 years (M = 21.2; SD = 3.7) and students from 34 higher education centers in Ecuador during the first semester of 2022. As Results found that the presence of PE is moderate and the perception of symptoms of mental alteration is low. PE is related in a negative and low sense to symptoms of anxiety and somatization; and moderately with social dysfunction and depression. Through simple structural regression, it was found that PE is a predictor of mental health perception and has more impact on symptoms of depression and social dysfunction. It is concluded that PE is an important attribute for the development and maintenance of mental health in young adults.