Perceived stress, internal resources, and social support as determinants of mental health among young adults
Abstract
Background Mental health is a central determinant of quality of life. While psychiatric morbidity of populations has been studied extensively, the role of perceived stress, social support, and internal resources as determinant of health is still poorly understood.Methods We surveyed 2000 randomly selected university students. Perceived stress was measured by the Brief Encounter Psychosocial Instrument, social support by the Duke-UNC Functional Social Support Questionnaire, internal resources (mastery and self-esteem) by a brief version of the Pearlin coping questionnaire. Linear regression models were used to explore the relationships between these variables and mental health, based on the SF-12 health survey.Results After two reminders, 1257 students answered the questionnaire. In bivariate analysis, mental health was negatively associated with stress and positively associated with internal resources and social support (all p-values < 0.001). In multiple regression analysis, internal resources were positively associated with mental health, and buffered the negative impact of stress on mental health. Internal resources and stress mediated the positive impact of social support on mental health.Conclusions Our data confirm that perceived stress is an important risk factor for low mental health and suggest that mastery and self-esteem are important protective factors of mental health among young adults.
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Perceived social support is an established protective factor for well-being.
“Perceived social support is another established protective factor for well-being [8, 28], and it may be particularly crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic due to increased social isolation.”
From Psychiatric symptoms, risk, and protective factors among university students in quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic in China (2021) · cites this paper as [8]
The relationship between general social support and mental health has been observed in previous studies and across different age groups.
“This relationship has been observed in previous studies and across different age groups (Everard et al., 2000; Bovier et al., 2004; Hawton et al., 2011).”
From Psychobiological Effects of Choral Singing on Affective State, Social Connectedness, and Stress: Influences of Singing Activity and Time Course (2018) · cites this paper as Bovier et al., 2004
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- Authors
- Bovier, P. A., Chamot, E., & Perneger, T. V.
- Affiliations
- University Hospital of Geneva (CH)
- University of Geneva (CH)
- Corresponding author
- Bovier, Patrick A.
- ORCID
- Perneger, Thomas V.
- Venue
- Quality of Life Research
- Published
- 2004-02
- Volume
- 13
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 161-170
- ISSN
- 0962-9343 (ISSN-L)
- 1573-2649
- OpenAlex
- W2011713251
- Cited by
- 311
- References
- 33
- Citations by year
- 2026: 10 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 30 · 2021: 22 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 18 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 20 · 2015: 15 · 2014: 22 · 2013: 25 · 2012: 11
- FWCI
- 10.09
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- Locations
- Quality of Life Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Student Stress and Coping
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Health and Well-being Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Resilience and Mental Health
- Keywords
- perceived stress, social support, internal resources, mental health, young adults, university students, mastery, self-esteem, coping, buffering effect
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Psychological, Adult, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Humans, Male, Mental Health, Psychometrics, Quality of Life, Surveys and Questionnaires, Self-Assessment, Self Concept, Social Support, Stress, Psychological, Students, Switzerland, Universities, Linear Models
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