Perceived social support and mental health for college students in mainland China: the mediating effects of self-concept

Previous studies revealed that both self-concept and social support were associated with mental health in college students. Very few studies have explored the ways these two variables work on mental health, particularly in mainland China. In the present study, 411 college students in northwest China were assessed using the School and Society Situations Scale (which includes a social support sub-scale and self-concept sub-scale) and Self-report Symptom Checklist 90. The results showed that a positive self-concept was positively correlated with individual perceived social support from parents, teachers, and peers, and that both self-concept and perceived social support were negatively associated with mental health problems. Moreover, structural equation modeling analyses showed that self-concept fully mediated the role of perceived social support in individuals' mental health. These results suggested that all kinds of perceived support from the social environment may help the college student form a positive self-concept, and the positive self-concept may help them resist and effectively cope with the risk factors related to mental health. These results also have implications in interventions to improve mental health in college students.