Association of Executive Function and Resilience with Psychological Well-being among Early Adolescents: A Case Study in Northern Thailand

Background: In early adolescence, psychological well-being represents an important developmental outcome. This period is marked by significant physical, emotional, and psychosocial transitions. Widely recognized as protective factors, executive function and resilience contribute to positive adolescent adjustment and mental health. However, investigations on the roles of these constructs among early adolescents in Northern Thailand in research remains limited. Method: This study employed a cross-sectional correlational design, using secondary data from 210 lower secondary school students aged 11 to 13 years in Northern Thailand. Validated self-report questionnaires were used to collect data by assessing executive function, resilience, and psychological well-being. Direct associations between study variables were examined using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, multivariable regression, and mediation analysis. Results: Executive function was positively associated with resilience and resilience was positively associated with psychological well-being. After resilience was included in the model, however, the direct association between executive function and personal well-being was not statistically significant (β = −.03, p = .71). Executive function’s significant indirect effect on personal well-being through resilience was demonstrated by bootstrap mediation analysis (β = .22, p < .001), supporting a full mediation model. The findings suggest executive function may indirectly contribute to psychological well-being through resilience-related processes. Conclusion: Resilience played an essential mediating role in the relationship between executive function and psychological well-being among early adolescents. Mental health promotion at schools should have strengthened executive function, and resilience mainly enhanced psychological well-being by influencing adaptive psychosocial functioning. Keywords: Early adolescents, Executive function, Resilience, Psychological well-being