Coping Styles as a Mediator between Psychological Resilience and Psychological Distress in Perimenopausal Nurses: Evidence from China

Abstract Objectives This research was designed to investigate the effect of psychological resilience on psychological distress Chinese nurses in perimenopause, alongside exploring the potential mediating role that coping strategies may play within this association. Methods A study utilizing a cross-sectional design was carried out in Sichuan Province, China, in November 2022. In total, 514 perimenopausal nurses were evaluated through the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale, and the Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire. Structural equation modeling was used to test coping style as a mediator between resilience and mental distress. Results The psychological resilience of perimenopausal nurses demonstrated a negative predictive effect on psychological distress. Coping style served as a partial mediator in the connection between psychological distress and resilience, with the mediating influence of positive coping being more prominent. Pearson’s correlation analysis indicated that psychological resilience was positively associated with positive coping styles ( r = 0.583, p < 0.01), but negatively link with psychological distress ( r = − 0.584, p < 0.01) and negative coping ( r = − 0.221, p < 0.01). Furthermore, psychological distress showed a negative correlation with positive coping ( r = − 0.604, p < 0.01) and a positive correlation with negative coping ( r = 0.435, p < 0.01). Conclusion These results suggest that enhancing the level of mental resilience and adopting positive coping styles may be effective measures to reduce the psychological distress of perimenopausal nurses.