Psychological anxiety as a mediating variable between family disintegration factors and factors influencing academic achievement among 12th-grade students in Salalah Oman

The study aimed to analyze the relationship between family disintegration and academic achievement among 12th-grade students in Salalah, Oman, while examining psychological anxiety as a mediating variable in this relationship. It also sought to assess students' levels of psychological anxiety and measure the direct and indirect effects of family disintegration on their academic performance. The study adopted a descriptive-analytical approach, applying a validated questionnaire to a sample of 310 students. The questionnaire covered three main dimensions: family disintegration, psychological anxiety, and academic achievement. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to assess the relationships between variables. The results revealed a significant direct effect of family disintegration on psychological anxiety (_ = 0.499, p < 0.001), indicating that students experiencing family instability are more prone to anxiety. The study also found a negative direct effect of family disintegration on academic achievement (_ = 0.399, p = 0.006), suggesting that students from unstable family environments have lower academic performance. Additionally, the findings showed that psychological anxiety negatively impacts academic achievement (_ = 0.266, p = 0.020), highlighting that students with high anxiety levels face academic difficulties. The study confirmed that psychological anxiety acts as a partial mediator in the relationship between family disintegration and academic achievement. The Bootstrapping test indicated an indirect effect of family disintegration on academic achievement through psychological anxiety (_ = 0.133, p = 0.038), suggesting that anxiety amplifies the impact of family instability on students' academic performance. The study underscores the importance of enhancing family stability and improving students' psychological well-being to support their academic success. It recommends implementing counseling and awareness programs to mitigate the effects of family disintegration, along with psychological and social support initiatives in schools to help students adapt to family challenges and minimize their negative impact on academic performance.