Investigating the mediating role of learning engagement in the relationship between self-efficacy for managing emotional challenges and subjective well-being among medical students

Medical students often face significant emotional challenges that can adversely affect their subjective well-being and academic performance. Understanding the mechanisms that influence these outcomes is critical for fostering resilience and success in medical education. This study aims to investigate the mediating role of learning engagement in the relationship between self-efficacy to manage emotional challenges and subjective well-being among medical students. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 237 medical students (from various academic years) at Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Iran, using validated questionnaires to measure self-efficacy, learning engagement, and subjective well-being. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficients, hierarchical linear regression, and path analysis. The findings revealed significant positive correlations among self-efficacy in managing emotional challenges, learning engagement, and subjective well-being. Mediation analysis showed that the direct effect of self-efficacy on subjective well-being remained significant in the presence of the mediator, learning engagement (b = 0.28, p < 0.001). Furthermore, the indirect effect of self-efficacy on subjective well-being through learning engagement was also significant (b = 0.22, p = 0.003), confirming that learning engagement partially mediates the relationship between self-efficacy and subjective well-being. Together, these variables accounted for 48% of the variance in subjective well-being. This study emphasizes the role of self-efficacy in managing emotional challenges and its positive effects on medical students’ learning engagement and well-being. Highlighting learning engagement as a key factor offers insights for educational planners. Targeted interventions to develop emotional management skills and active learning can boost academic performance and resilience. Future research should explore these findings across different cultures and use longitudinal designs to clarify causal relationships, enhancing support systems for medical students.