Perceived Social Support Promotes Nursing Students' Psychological Wellbeing: Explained With Self-Compassion and Professional Self-Concept

Lu Zhou; Khunanan Sukpasjaroen; Yuming Wu; Liu Gao; Thitinan Chankoson; Enli Cai

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.835134

Perceived Social Support Promotes Nursing Students' Psychological Wellbeing: Explained With Self-Compassion and Professional Self-Concept

Front Psychol. 2022 Apr 5:13:835134. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.835134. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Lu Zhou^{1

2}, Khunanan Sukpasjaroen¹, Yuming Wu², Liu Gao², Thitinan Chankoson^{1

3}, Enli Cai²

Affiliations

¹ Chakrabongse Bhuvanarth International Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies, Rajamangala University of Technology Tawan-ok, Bang Phra, Thailand.
² School of Nursing, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, Kunming, China.
³ Faculty of Business Administration for Society, Srinakharinwirot University, Bangkok, Thailand.

Abstract

Background: The psychological distress of nursing students is ongoing and getting worse during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. Numerous calls for future research on exploring the effects of perceived social support would be an effective way to improve nursing students' mental health. However, the pathway(s) between perceived social support and psychological wellbeing (PWB) remain unknown.

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore how self-compassion and professional self-concept mediate the relationship between perceived social support and PWB to explain the theoretical mechanisms of the relationship.

Design: This study is the analytical cross-sectional research based on online self-reports and completed validated measures of perceived social support, PWB, self-compassion, and professional self-concept.

Methods: The Structural Equation Model (SEM) was used to estimate the mediation effects on the relationship between perceived social support and PWB. To examine the directionality of effects, this study also tested the reverse serial mediation model. Multigroup SEM was used to test gender differences in the mediation model.

Results: The results of an empirical study involving 487 undergraduate nursing students verified an integrative model of social support. In addition, no gender difference was found in these associations. These findings suggest that self-compassion and professional self-concept accounted for the association between perceived social support and PWB, and self-compassion was a significant predictor of professional self-concept.

Conclusion: There is a pathway of self-compassion and professional self-concept through which perceived social support may improve PWB. Also, improving nursing students' perceived social support, self-compassion and professional self-concept are beneficial for promoting their mental health. It is meaningful for nursing educators to take measures to develop nursing students' PWB and enhance their professional self-concept.

Keywords: nursing students; perceived social support; professional self-concept; psychological wellbeing; self-compassion.