Contemporary Arab societies face mounting social and economic pressures that shape mental health outcomes through psychological and organizational factors. This study examines self-efficacy, personal autonomy, life arrangements, and health priorities as key influences on psychological distress, mapping their interactions across diverse adult age groups to identify pathways for improving well-being. We employed Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) in a quantitative correlational design with 328 Arabic-speaking adults aged 18–65 years (M = 32.5, SD = 12.1). Validated Arabic versions of established scales assessed the constructs. We first confirmed measurement quality through reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity tests before estimating direct and indirect structural paths. The measurement model showed in our Arab sample, as depicted good reliability, (Cronbach’s α = 0.74–0.92) and validity (AVE = 0.56–0.72), with empirically distinct constructs. Self-efficacy positively associated personal autonomy (β = 0.51, p < .001) and life arrangements (β = 0.46, p < .001) but not distress directly. Autonomy mediated self-efficacy’s protective effect against distress (indirect β = –0.17, p < .001), while health priorities unexpectedly increased distress (β = 0.35, p < .001). The model explained 30% of distress variance. In Arab sociocultural contexts, the relationship between self-efficacy and psychological distress operates exclusively through experienced personal autonomy and related organizational resources. These findings suggest that interventions may be more effective when they strengthen efficacy beliefs alongside autonomy-supportive daily structures.