Psychological Resilience Among Vocational Medical Students in China: The Mediating Role of Professional Identity in the Relationship With Ideological and Political Education Experience

Objective This study aimed to examine the current status of psychological resilience among students in medical vocational colleges and its associations with professional identity, perceived stress, self-efficacy, and social support, and to test a mediation model involving professional identity. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 2,274 medical vocational college students. Standardized scales were used for measurement. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, Pearson correlation, multiple linear regression, and structural equation modeling. Results The average psychological resilience score among participants was moderate. Significant differences were observed across gender, grade level, and family background (p < 0.05). Psychological resilience showed significant associations with professional identity, self-efficacy, social support, and perceived stress. Multiple regression analysis revealed that self-efficacy and social support were the strongest predictors of resilience. Structural equation modeling further showed that professional identity partially mediated the association between ideological and political education experience and psychological resilience, with acceptable model fit (χ 2 /df = 2.47, RMSEA = 0.053, GFI = 0.926, CFI = 0.938). Conclusion Psychological resilience among medical vocational college students is influenced by individual, professional, and social factors. Targeted interventions to strengthen professional identity, self-efficacy, and social support may effectively improve students’ resilience, thus promoting better mental health and academic performance.