I am pleased to announce that my master's thesis was accepted in Current Psychology as my first milestone: a first-authored, peer-reviewed journal article. I wrote this under the supervision of Dr. Nilou Lueke, who also chaired my master's thesis from 2021 to 2023.
The manuscript examined whether lower confidence in one’s abilities, or general self-efficacy, is associated with increased depressive symptoms and, more importantly, why this relationship occurs. The findings indicate a serial mediation pathway. Students who perceive themselves as less confident in their ability to manage challenges tend to perceive their stress levels as substantially higher. Elevated stress, in turn, makes it more difficult for them to adapt to college life, ultimately contributing to higher levels of depression. Overall, self-efficacy appears to be an important protective factor during the significant transition of the first semester of college.
Desai, V. A., & Lueke, N. A. (2026). The mediating roles of perceived stress and college adaptation in the relationship between self-efficacy and depressive symptoms among first-year college students. Current Psychology, 45(17), 1475. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-026-09300-5.