{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T17:21:40Z","timestamp":1785432100499,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":46,"publisher":"AOSIS","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,24]],"date-time":"2025-06-24T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1750723200000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["HSAG"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Identifying protective factors in mental health-related outcomes is crucial, offering insights into the vulnerabilities and strengths individuals harness against psychological distress. There has been limited focus on exploring complex mediation and moderation models, which can uncover the relationships between stressors, protective factors and wellbeing.\n\nAim: This study investigated the interrelationship between perceived stress, sense of coherence (SOC), and psychological distress.\n\nSetting: South African university students (N = 322) completed the Perceived Stress Scale, Sense of Coherence Scale-13, Beck Hopelessness Scale-9 and Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale-10.\n\nMethods: Moderation analysis was conducted using the PROCESS macro to examine the role of SOC in moderating the relationship between perceived stress and psychological distress. Where moderation was not significant, mediation analysis was conducted.\n\nResults: Sense of coherence demonstrated multiple roles in mental health, exhibiting direct effects on indicators of psychological distress. Sense of coherence moderated the relationship between perceived stress and hopelessness. Under heightened stress conditions, individuals with low to medium SOC displayed more profound feelings of hopelessness compared to those with high SOC. Mediation analysis showed that SOC served as a bridge between perceived stress and both depression and anxiety. The identification of a potential SOC threshold offers a novel perspective on assessing risk levels, suggesting that individuals with low to moderate SOC are particularly vulnerable under high stress.\n\nConclusion: The findings emphasise the need for targeted approaches to strengthen SOC as a resilience-enhancing factor.\n\nContribution: The study advances theoretical discussions on stress-buffering models and offers guidance for mental health practitioners working in high-stress environments.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.4102\/hsag.v30i0.2859","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,26]],"date-time":"2025-04-26T09:30:26Z","timestamp":1745659826000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4102\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Stress to stability: Sense of coherence as a buffer against pandemic-related psychological distress"],"prefix":"10.4102","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7733-7486","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Anita","family":"Padmanabhanunni","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/00h2vm590","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"University of the Western Cape"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6325-6623","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tyrone","family":"Pretorius","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/00h2vm590","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"University of the Western Cape"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"2580","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,24]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref0","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Aderhold, C., Morawa, E., Paslakis, G. & Erim, Y., 2019, \u2018Protective factors of depressive symptoms in adult cancer patients: The role of 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anxiety, and depression\u2019, Frontiers in Psychiatry 12, 553468. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpsyt.2021.553468","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyt.2021.553468"},{"key":"ref31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Padmanabhanunni, A., 2022, \u2018Psychological distress in the time of COVID-19: The relationship between anxiety, hopelessness, and depression and the mediating role of sense of coherence\u2019, Traumatology (Tallahassee, Fla.) 28(3), 376\u2013382. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1037\/trm0000380","DOI":"10.1037\/trm0000380"},{"key":"ref32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Padmanabhanunni, A. & Pretorius, T.B., 2022, \u2018Promoting well-being in the face of a pandemic: The role of sense of coherence and ego-resilience in the relationship between psychological distress and life satisfaction\u2019, South African Journal of Psychology 53(1), 124\u2013133. 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