Objective　To reveal the relationship among learning motivation, self-esteem, and coping behavior of high school students, and explore whether coping behavior can be used as a mediator variable to influence the learning motivation and self-esteem and improve the mental health of high school students. Methods　A total of 1 237 high school students from Anhui Province were selected by convenience sampling method. Middle school students learning motivation scale (MSMS), Rosenberg's self-esteem scale (SES) and simplified coping style questionnaire (SCSQ) were used to measure. Results　The high school students' learning motivation was lower (6.98±3.41), the self-esteem (28.92±5.00) was higher, and the coping behavior (1.67±0.51) was mainly positive. The degree of learning motivation was negatively correlated with self-esteem and positive coping (t＝-0.31，t＝-0.19, P<0.001), and positively correlated with negative coping (t＝0.30，P<0.001). Self-esteem and positive response were positively correlated (t＝0.34, P<0.001), and negatively correlated with negative coping (t＝-0.20, P<0.001). Coping behavior played a partial mediating role in learning motivation and self-esteem. The mediating effects of positive coping and negative coping were -0.16 and -0.13, with effect sizes of 55% and 45%, respectively. Conclusion　Learning motivation can significantly predict the level of high school students' self-esteem, and coping style plays a part in mediating role in high school students' learning motivation and self-esteem.