Cross-lagged analysis of relationship between self-deception, psychological capital and depression in normal university students

University students are particularly vulnerable to depression. This study examines the correlations and predictive roles between self-deception, psychological capital, and depression among students from Chinese normal university. A 3-month follow-up mental health study was conducted with 260 Chinese normal university students, utilizing the Self-Deceptive Enhancement scale, Center of Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale and Positive Psychological capital Questionnaire. The Cross-lagged panel Model was employed to test the predictive relationship between self-deception, psychological capital, and depression. The prevalence of depression among these college students reached 35.0%. Correlation analyses showed that self-deception was positively correlated with psychological capital, while both self-deception and psychological capital were negatively associated with depression. The cross-lagged analyses revealed that self-deception negatively predicted depression (β = -0.16, p < 0.01); Psychological capital negatively predicted depression (β = -0.16, p < 0.01); The reciprocal predictive effects between self-deception and psychological capital were observed (β = 0.23 and 0.13, respectively, p < 0.05). The findings support the conservation of resources theory, underscoring the critical role of resource management in mental health. These results provide a theoretical basis for developing easy-to-administer interventions aimed at alleviating students' depressive symptoms by leveraging both self-deception and PsyCap as potential pathways for promoting psychological well-being. Furthermore, the study draws on Zhong and Ru’s (2021) cognitive processing model of self-deception to explore the unique role of self-deception in psychological regulation, futher expanding its applicability in mental health contexts.