The mediating role of psychological well-being and self-efficacy in the relationship between negative thoughts and future career expectations

The aim of this study is to examine the effects of self-efficacy and psychological well-being on perceived future employability in the presence of repetitive negative thoughts among unemployed individuals actively seeking jobs and final-year university students. The study, which employed a quantitative research method, included 670 participants selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected using the following instruments: "Socio-Demographic Information Form" to determine participants' demographic characteristics and personal experiences; "Positive and Negative Rumination Scale" to measure levels of repetitive negative thinking; "Perceived Future Employability Scale" to assess perceived employability; "General Self-Efficacy Scale" to evaluate self-efficacy levels; and the "Psychological Well-Being Scale" to measure psychological well-being. According to the findings, repetitive negative thoughts were negatively associated with perceived future employability, psychological well-being, and general self-efficacy. Psychological well-being and self-efficacy were positively associated with perceived future employability. Moreover, psychological well-being played a mediating role between repetitive negative thoughts and perceived future employability. Similarly, general self-efficacy also mediated the relationship between repetitive negative thoughts and perceived future employability. These findings reveal the negative impact of repetitive negative thoughts, which emerge in individuals' cognitive processes during unemployment, on perceived employability, self-confidence, and psychological well-being.The findings obtained are of a nature that can serve as a basis for psychosocial interventions aimed at understanding the impact of repetitive negative thoughts experienced during unemployment on individuals' mental health.