The relationship between perceived social support with anxiety, depression, and insomnia among Chinese college students during the COVID-19 pandemic: The mediating role of self-control

Guojun Zhao; Fusen Xie; Shuangchen Li; Yuee Ding; Xu Li; Haijian Liu

doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2022.994376

The relationship between perceived social support with anxiety, depression, and insomnia among Chinese college students during the COVID-19 pandemic: The mediating role of self-control

Front Psychiatry. 2022 Oct 6:13:994376. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.994376. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Guojun Zhao^{1

2}, Fusen Xie¹, Shuangchen Li¹, Yuee Ding³, Xu Li³, Haijian Liu⁴

Affiliations

¹ School of Psychology, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, China.
² Academy of Plateau Science and Sustainability, Qinghai Normal University, Xining, China.
³ Mental Health education Center, Gansu Health Vocational College, Lanzhou, China.
⁴ School of Education, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, China.

Abstract

Object: We aimed to investigate the associations between perceived social support and anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbance via self-control among Chinese college students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Materials and methods: The Perceived Social Support Scale, Self-control Scale, Self-rating Anxiety Scale, Self-rating Depression Scale, and Insomnia Severity Index Scale were used to survey 1,997 college students during the COVID-19 pandemic, who submitted valid questionnaires (M _age = 19.93, SD _age = 1.47, Range = 18-24 years, 62% female).

Results: The perceived social support and self-control were significantly positively correlated, and they were significantly and negatively associated with anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Further analysis found that self-control partially mediated the relationships between perceived social support with anxiety, depression, and insomnia.

Conclusion: During the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese college students' self-control played a partial mediating effect in the relationships between perceived social support and anxiety, depression, and insomnia. This study provides new insights and inspiration for improving college students' mental health in the context of the pandemic.

Keywords: COVID-19; college students; mental health; perceived social support; self-control.