School psychologists have unique advisory, consultative, interventional, and therapeutic leadership functions within schools. Consequently, they are confronted with increased levels of occupational stress, which test their cognitive appraisal, coping mechanisms, and feelings of self-efficacy. Although studies have included school psychologists, none have examined the moderating effect of psychological hardiness on the relationship between occupational stress and self-efficacy. A cross-sectional, nonexperimental, and quantitative design used convenience, single-stage, and self-administered web-based surveys with 112 Georgia school psychologists. Using a framework structured by the theory of psychological hardiness, self-efficacy theory, and transactional model of stress and coping, sequential multiple linear regression revealed that occupational stress was not related to self-efficacy, psychological hardiness was related to self-efficacy, and psychological hardiness moderated the relationship between occupational stress and self-efficacy. Noting levels of increasing stress for American educators, these findings underscore the importance that school psychologists incorporate self-care techniques into their practice to maintain efficacious service. Future research might investigate other psychological constructs, which affect school psychologists' perceptions of occupational stress, psychological hardiness, and self-efficacy. Given school psychologists' important functions and responsibilities within communities and schools, the study endorsed positive social change with explication of the multidimensional influence of psychological health as a means to ensure the well-being of children, families, and schoolhouse personnel.

The establishment of physiological norms for psychologically hardy vs. non-hardy individuals was attempted by examination of levels of salivary cortisol and urinary norepinephrine before and after a mid-term examination stressor. Normative data was collected on the reported frequency of stressors and their severity one week prior to the examination, and self-reported ratings of stress immediately prior to the examination. Performance on the examination as a function of hardiness was explored. Associations between demographic variables and psychological hardiness were also studied. Results from this study were inconclusive in establishing physiological norms for psychologically hardy individuals. Associations were found between: 1) hardiness and frequency of stressors; 2) hardiness and age; and 3) self-reported ratings of stress and anxiety as measured by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI).