This study aimed to explore the relationship among the Big Five personality traits, emotional intelligence (EIQ), psychological capital (PsyCap), and teacher well-being (TPWB) within the context of higher education. The objective was to predict TPWB in university teachers by utilizing the Big Five personality traits and PsyCap while considering EI as a mediator. Data were collected from 708 teachers in Ethiopian higher education institutions. Participants completed the Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS-16), Big Five Personality Inventory (BFI-10), Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ-12), and Teacher Professional Well-Being Scale (TPWBS). The analysis included reliability tests, correlation analysis, validity assessment, measurement invariance, and serial mediation testing. The findings unveil a significant direct positive effect of Big Five personality traits on EIQ, PsyCap, and TPWB. Furthermore, PsyCap demonstrates a direct positive effect on TPWB. PsyCap fully mediates the relationship between the Big Five personality traits, EIQ, and TPWB, while EIQ partially mediates the relationships between the Big Five personality traits and PsyCap/TPWB, accentuating a serial mediation effect. Moreover, the personality trait of openness to experience positively predicts EIQ, PsyCap, and TPWB. Conscientiousness and agreeableness also positively predict EIQ, while extraversion directly influences PsyCap in a positive manner. However, neuroticism exerts a negative direct impact on EIQ, PsyCap, and TPWB. Additionally, emotional intelligence partially mediates the relationship between the five dimensions of the Big Five personality (openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism) and TPWB. In conclusion, PsyCap fully mediates the relationship between the Big Five personality traits, EIQ, and TPWB, while EIQ partially mediates the relationships between the Big Five personality traits and PsyCap/TPWB. These findings hold significant implications for enhancing well-being among teachers.

Introduction: The widespread use of the internet has brought numerous benefits, but it has also raised concerns about its potential negative impact on mental health, particularly among university students. This study aims to investigate the relationship between internet addiction (IA) and mental health (MH) in university students, as well as explore the mediating effects of positive psychological capital (PsyCap) in this relationship. Objective: The main goal of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the measures and to determine whether internet addiction could negatively predict university students’ mental health, mediated through PsyCap. Method: A cross-sectional design with an inferential approach was employed to address this objective. The data were collected using the Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ-24), Internet Addiction Scale (IAS), and Keyes’ Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF). The total sample of this study comprised 850 students from two large public higher education institutions in Ethiopia, of whom 334 (39.3%) were female and 516 (60.7%) were male, with a mean age of 22.32 (SD = 4.04). Several analyses were performed to achieve the stated objectives, such as Cronbach’s alpha and composite reliabilities, bivariate correlation, discriminant validity, common method biases, and structural equation modeling (confirmatory factor analysis, path analysis, and mediation analysis). Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to test the construct validity of IAS, PCQ-24, and MHC-SF. Additionally, the mediating model was examined using structural equation modeling with the corrected biased bootstrap method. Results: The preliminary study results found that the construct validity of IAS, PCQ-24, and MHC-SF was excellent and appropriate. Furthermore, the findings demonstrate that internet addiction had a negative and direct effect on PsyCap and MH. Moreover, PsyCap fully mediated the relationship between IA and MH. Additionally, this study confirmed that all the scales exhibited strong internal consistency and good psychometric properties. Conclusion: This study contributes to a better understanding of the complex interplay between IA, PsyCap, and MH among university students, confirming previous findings. Recommendation: The findings, discussed in relation to the recent and relevant literature, will be valuable for practitioners and researchers aiming to improve mental health and reduce internet addiction by utilizing positive psychological resources as protective factors for university students.

Introduction: Social media addiction (SMA) and internet addiction (IA) are increasingly prevalent, impacting mental health (MH) globally. This study investigates the mediating roles of mindfulness and social capital (SC) in the relationship between SMA, IA, and MH among Ethiopian high school and university students, contributing to the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 of good health and well-being. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1160 university and 1473 high school students in Dessie, Ethiopia. Participants completed validated questionnaires assessing SMA, IA, mindfulness, SC, and MH. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with a multi- mediation Model (SMM) was used to examine the hypothesized relationships. Results: SEM revealed that both SMA and IA had a direct negative effect on mindfulness, SC, and MH in in both high school and university students. Notably, mindfulness and SC significantly and positively predicted MH, indicating their protective role against the negative effects of SMA and IA. Furthermore, both mindfulness or SC fully or partially mediated the relationship between SMA, IA, and MH, highlighting their crucial role in explaining the association. Conclusions: This study provides evidence for the crucial roles of mindfulness and SC in buffering the negative effects of SMA and IA on MH among Ethiopian students. The findings highlight the need for educational and health interventions that foster mindfulness and SC to enhance student mental health and promote a healthy digital environment. These results offer valuable insights for educators, health professionals, and policymakers in Ethiopia and other developing countries facing similar challenges.

Background: Common mental disorder such as depression and anxiety present significant challenges for orphaned children and adolescents, affecting a significant part of their life. Objective: This study aimed to assess the pooled prevalence and associated factors of depression and anxiety disorder among orphaned children and adolescents in Ethiopia. Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A comprehensive search was conducted across PubMed, Google Scholar, CINAHL, and African Journals Online from inception to November 2024. Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal checklist was used to evaluate the quality of studies that fulfill the eligible criteria. A random-effects model was applied to estimate the pooled effect size with its 95% confidence interval, and statistical analysis was conducted using Stata version 17.0. Results: A total of 1489 participants from 5 studies were included. The pooled prevalence of depression among orphaned children and adolescents in Ethiopia was 28% (95% CI [0.23, 0.33]; I ² = 78.36; p < .001) and the pooled prevalence of anxiety was 43% (95% CI [0.07, 0.93, I ² = 99.63). Several factors were significantly associated with depression, including not receiving counseling services (AOR = 3.27; 95% CI [1.43, 5.11]), experiencing social discrimination (AOR = 2.72; 95% CI [1.49, 3.96]), and being subjected to physical abuse (AOR = 2.90; 95% CI [1.66, 4.14]). Conclusions: There is a high prevalence of depression and anxiety among orphaned children and adolescents. Discrimination, lack of counseling, and physical abuse substantially increase the risk of depression among orphaned children and adolescents. These findings highlight an urgent need for targeted mental health services tailored to the unique challenges faced by orphaned children and adolescents. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42024605103

Introduction: The widespread use of the internet has brought numerous benefits, but it has also raised concerns about its potential negative impact on mental health, particularly among university students. This study aims to investigate the relationship between internet addiction and mental health in university students, as well as explore the mediating effects of emotional intelligence in this relationship. Objective: The main objective of this study was to examine whether internet addiction (dimensions and total) negatively predicts the mental health of university students, with emotional intelligence acting as a mediator. Methods: To address this objective, a cross-sectional design with an inferential approach was employed. Data were collected using the Wong Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS-S), Internet Addiction Scale (IAS), and Keyes’ Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF). The total sample consisted of 850 students from two large public higher education institutions in Ethiopia, of which 334 (39.3%) were females and 516 (60.7%) were males, with a mean age of 22.32 (SD = 4.04). For the purpose of the study, the data were split into two randomly selected groups: sample 1 with 300 participants for psychometric testing purposes, and sample 2 with 550 participants for complex mediation purposes. Various analyses were conducted to achieve the stated objectives, including Cronbach’s alpha and composite reliabilities, bivariate correlation, discriminant validity, common method biases, measurement invariance, and structural equation modeling (confirmatory factor analysis, path analysis, and mediation analysis). Confirmatory factor analysis was performed to assess the construct validity of the WLEIS-S, IAS, and MHC-SF. Additionally, a mediating model was examined using structural equation modeling with the corrected biased bootstrap method. Results: The results revealed that internet addiction had a negative and direct effect on emotional intelligence (β = –0.180, 95%CI [–0.257, –0.103], p = 0.001) and mental health (β = –0.204, 95%CI [–0.273, –0.134], p = 0.001). Also, Internet Craving and Internet obsession negatively predicted EI (β = –0.324, 95%CI [–0.423, –0.224], p = 0.002) and MH (β = –0.167, 95%CI [–0.260, –0.069], p = 0.009), respectively. However, EI had a significant and positive direct effect on mental health (β = 0.494, 95%CI [0.390, 0.589], p = 0.001). Finally, EI fully mediated the relationship between internet addiction and mental health (β = –0.089, 95%CI [–0.136, –0.049], p = 0.001). Besides The study also confirmed that all the scales had strong internal consistency and good psychometric properties. Conclusion: This study contributes to a better understanding of the complex interplay between internet addiction, emotional intelligence, and mental health among university students. The findings highlight the detrimental effects of internet addiction on mental health, and the crucial mediating role of emotional intelligence. Recommendations: The findings discussed in relation to recent literature have practical implications for practitioners and researchers aiming to enhance mental health and reduce internet addiction among university students. Emotional intelligence can be utilized as a positive resource in interventions and programs targeting these issues.