Modeling the Structural Relationships Between Unresolved Grief and Ego Strength With the Mediating Role of Integrated Self-Knowledge
Keywords:
Unresolved grief, ego strength, integrated self-knowledgeAbstract
Objective: The aim of this study was to model the structural relationships between unresolved grief and ego strength, with the mediating role of integrated self-knowledge among university students in Sari.
Methodology: This study was fundamental and employed a descriptive correlational design. The statistical population included 26,250 students from various universities in Sari during the 2023-2024 academic year. Following Kline’s (2023) protocol, a sample of 400 was targeted, and after eliminating invalid responses, 376 valid responses were analyzed. Data collection instruments included the Integrated Self-Knowledge Scale, the Complicated Grief Questionnaire, and the Ego Strength Questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using inferential statistics, path analysis, and SPSS and AMOS software.
Findings: Inferential findings revealed a significant and inverse relationship between unresolved grief and ego strength. Structural equation modeling results indicated that integrated self-knowledge mediates this relationship, such that ego strength reduces unresolved grief significantly through enhancing integrated self-knowledge (direct path coefficient 0.87 and indirect path coefficient -0.12). Model fit indices such as RMSEA=0.041 and CFI=0.96 indicated a good model fit.
Conclusion: The results demonstrated that ego strength can help reduce unresolved grief in students by improving integrated self-knowledge. These findings highlight the importance of interventions focused on enhancing self-awareness and psychological resilience in promoting student mental health.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Solaleh Kalantari, Mohsen Fazlali, Shahban Heydari (Author)
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