The association between perceived social support and resilience among Chinese university students: A moderated mediation model

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between perceived social support and psychological resilience among university students while also exploring the mediating role of coping style and the moderating effect of perceived stress. The study collected data from 1356 university students, and a path analysis was used to test the proposed hypotheses. The results revealed that perceived social support had a significant positive effect on psychological resilience. Additionally, positive coping style partially mediated the relationship between perceived social support and psychological resilience. The study also found that the direct predictive effect of perceived social support on psychological resilience, as well as the mediating role of positive coping style, were both moderated by perceived stress. Specifically, the effect of perceived social support on psychological resilience was more significant among university students with lower perceived stress than among those with higher perceived stress. Our results underscore the importance of perceived social support, positive coping style, and perceived stress in promoting psychological resilience among Chinese university students.

Practitioner Points

• Perceived social support has positive effect on psychological resilience among Chinese university students.

• Perceived stress can moderate the relationship of perceived social support and psychological resilience.

• Perceived social support, positive coping style, and perceived stress are all important to psychological resilience among Chinese university students.