This study examined the mediating role of negative stress in the relationship between Psychological Capital (PsyCap) and psychological distress indicators among Ecuadorian university students. PsyCap was conceptualized as a higher-order construct composed of hope, self-efficacy, resilience, and optimism. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1732 university students (55% women; M = 20.44, SD = 2.29) from three Ecuadorian universities using validated self-report measures. Structural equation modeling supported the proposed mediational model and demonstrated an adequate fit to the data, χ²(367) = 1732, p < 0.001, CFI = 0.972, TLI = 0.969, RMSEA = 0.061 (90% CI [0.058, 0.063]), and SRMR = 0.041. PsyCap showed a significant negative association with negative stress (β = −0.311, p < 0.001). In turn, negative stress was positively associated with anxiety–depression symptoms (β = 0.785, p < 0.001) and psychological inflexibility (β = 0.774, p < 0.001). Mediation analyses revealed significant indirect effects of PsyCap on anxiety–depression (β = −0.244, p < 0.001) and psychological inflexibility (β = −0.241, p < 0.001) through negative stress. Direct effects remained significant but smaller in magnitude (β = −0.131 and β = −0.107, respectively), supporting a partial mediation model. The model explained 69.7% of the variance in anxiety–depression and 66.3% of the variance in psychological inflexibility. These findings suggest that PsyCap functions primarily as a protective psychological resource through its capacity to reduce maladaptive stress responses, which subsequently influence broader transdiagnostic indicators of psychological distress. The study highlights the relevance of integrating strengths-based approaches and stress-reduction strategies in university mental health interventions. Furthermore, it provides empirical evidence from a Latin American context, contributing to the understanding of mechanisms linking positive psychological resources and mental health among university students.

This study examined the mediating role of negative stress in the relationship between Psychological Capital (PsyCap) a higher-order construct comprising hope, self-efficacy, resilience, and optimism and psychological distress indicators among Ecuadorian uni-versity students. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 1,732 students (55% women; M = 20.44, SD = 2.29), using validated self-report measures. Structural equa-tion modeling showed a good model fit (CFI = 0.947; TLI = 0.942; RMSEA = 0.055; SRMR = 0.040) Results indicated that PsyCap was negatively associated with negative stress (β = −0.261), which in turn showed strong positive effects on anxiety–depression symptoms (β = 0.782) and psychological inflexibility (β = 0.781). Direct effects of PsyCap on both outcomes were significant but comparatively small (β = −0.115 and β = −0.086, respec-tively), whereas indirect effects through stress were substantial and significant (β = −0.204), supporting a partial mediation model. The model explained 67.2% of the vari-ance in anxiety–depression and 65.2% in psychological inflexibility. These findings suggest that PsyCap operates primarily as a protective factor through its capacity to reduce negative stress, which subsequently influences downstream psy-chological outcomes. The results highlight the importance of stress-focused mecha-nisms in understanding how positive psychological resources impact mental health. From an applied perspective, the findings underscore the relevance of implementing strengths-based interventions in higher education that enhance PsyCap components while simultaneously targeting stress reduction. Such inter-ventions may contribute to decreasing psychological distress and improving students’ adaptive functioning and well-being. This study provides robust evidence from the Latin American context, advancing the understanding of transdiagnostic mechanisms linking positive resources and mental health in university populations.

La salud mental y el consumo problemático de sustancias son considerados como un problema social y su estudio una prioridad. Los últimos avances en Psicología se centran en la necesidad de identificar variables de riesgo o protectoras en salud mental y consumo de sustancias. La investigación tuvo como objetivo analizar la distribución de variables psicosociales como predictores e indicadores de salud mental y consumo de alcohol en adolescentes de educación secundaria de la ciudad de Loja-Ecuador. La investigación tiene un alcance descriptivo que nos permitió explicar y analizar las condiciones psicológicas y sociales que influyen directamente en la salud mental y al mismo tiempo revelar qué sucede con los adolescentes que se encuentran en situaciones de riesgo de consumo problemático de sustancias. Se evaluó una muestra de 118 estudiantes de primero y tercer año de bachillerato, en edades comprendidas entre 14 y 20 años, seleccionados por conveniencia mediante el muestreo casual-accidental (estudio de tipo no probabilístico) pertenecientes a tres instituciones educativas. Para este estudio se utilizó una batería compuesta por nueve test: Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14), Avoidance and Action Questionnaire (AAQ-7), Type A Behavior Scale, Loneliness Scale Revised (UCLA), Brief Resilence Scale (BRS), Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), Patient Health Questionnaire of Depression and Anxiety (PHQ-4), Satisfaction Life Question (LSQ) y un cuestionario sociodemográfico. Los resultados indican que el 91% de los adolescentes, presentan un estrés que fluctúa entre moderado y bajo, y solo el 9% refieren tener estrés alto. Se encontró una relación significativa entre el tipo de institución educativa y estrés percibido, siendo mayor este en instituciones de tipo fiscomisional. Referente a la escolaridad quienes presentan niveles de estrés más alto, son alumnos de primer año de bachillerato en un 8,6%, mientras que los alumnos de tercero de bachillerato en un 0,7%, presentan niveles más bajos de estrés.