Factors influencing mental health among university teachers: a study based on the Diathesis-Stress Model and Response Style Theory

University teachers face multiple sources of pressure, including teaching, research, and administrative duties, which may relate to mental health outcomes and the coping strategies they employ. This study integrates the Diathesis-Stress Model and Response Style Theory to examine the associations among maladaptive perfectionism, work stress, and psychological resilience, and mental health, as well as their relational patterns through different coping responses. A questionnaire survey was conducted to measure maladaptive perfectionism, work stress, psychological resilience, rumination, problem-solving, and mental health status. A total of 1,242 valid questionnaires completed by university faculty members were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Findings reveal that while maladaptive perfectionism, work stress, and psychological resilience are directly associated with mental health and show distinct relational patterns through different coping approaches. Specifically, maladaptive perfectionism and psychological resilience are associated with mental health through work stress, whereas maladaptive perfectionism and work stress are linked to mental health via rumination. In addition, psychological resilience is related to mental health through problem-solving, whereas no such pathway is observed between work stress and problem-solving. These findings highlight the multifaceted mechanisms underlying university teachers’ mental health and provide theoretical support for targeted psychological interventions. However, the findings should be interpreted with caution due to the cross-sectional design and reliance on self-report measures. Future studies are encouraged to adopt longitudinal designs and multi-source data to further validate and extend the present findings.