Abstract
Objective: To explore the association between negative life events and college student adjustment and to explore the mediating and moderating effects of social support and grade level in the relationship between the two. Methods. The research was conducted with 1717 college students using the Adolescent Self-Rating Life Events Checklist (ASLEC), China College Student Adjustment Scale (CCSAS), and the Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS). Results. (1) Negative life events were significantly negative in correlation with adjustment and social support (r = −0.373, −0.174, Ps < 0.001), while social support was significantly positive in correlation with adjustment (r = 0.359, P < 0.001). (2) The main effects of negative life events, social support, and grade on adjustment were significant (effect = −0.190, P < 0.001, 95% CI [−0.288∼−0.092]; effect = 0.307, P < 0.001, 95% CI [0.265∼0.348]; effect = 0.163, P < 0.001, 95% CI [0.126∼0.200]). (3) In the relationship between negative life events and adjustment, social support played a mediating role (effect = −0.054, 95% CI [−0.071∼−0.037]) and grade level played a moderating role (effect = −0.049, P=0.009, 95% CI [−0.085∼−0.012]). Conclusion. Negative life events, social support, and grade level affected college student adjustment, and social support networks for college students should be actively constructed and targeted education should be conducted according to different grade levels, which can promote college student adjustment.
Highlights
Adjustment was primarily a response to psychosocial stressors or multiple stressors and is an important dimension of mental health
Social support, and grade level affected college student adjustment, and social support networks for college students should be actively constructed and targeted education should be conducted according to different grade levels, which can promote college student adjustment
Correlation analysis of the study variables found (Table 1) that negative life events were significantly negatively correlated with adjustment and social support (r −0.373, −0.174, Ps < 0.001) and social support was significantly positively correlated with adjustment (r 0.359, P < 0.001). e correlation between grade and negative life events and adjustment was low, and negative life events were more strongly correlated with adjustment, with grade acting as a moderating variable according to the MacArthur method criteria [32], in line with the study hypothesis. e MacArthur method criteria is that intermediate variables, predictor variables, and outcome variables are significantly correlated and predictor variables are not correlated or are less correlated with intermediate variables, which can be judged as moderating variables
Summary
Adjustment was primarily a response to psychosocial stressors or multiple stressors and is an important dimension of mental health. In terms of the overall function of social support, researchers have noted that higher levels of social support influence the relationship between stressful life events and behavioural adjustment [22], while others have identified a mediating role of social support between negative life events and depression and suicidal ideation [23, 24]. This study proposed hypothesis 2: social support is a mediating variable in the relationship between negative life events and college students’ adjustment, taking Chinese college students as the target population. According to hypothesis 1 and hypothesis 2, the study constructs a mediated moderating model in the relationship between negative life events and college students’ adjustment, with the moderating variable being grade level and the mediating variable being social support.
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