Friends support as a mediator in the association between depressive symptoms and self-stigma among university students in South Korea

Abstract

Self-stigma has been identified as a crucial factor affecting reluctance to seek psychological help and known to be associated with depressive symptoms. However, no research to date has been conducted examining the relationship between depressive symptoms and self-stigma among university students in South Korea. The current study examined the influence of depressive symptoms on self-stigma and the mediating effect of social support (family and friends) on the relationship between depressive symptoms and self-stigma among university students. A total of 240 students at 4 universities in South Korea completed in-class surveys in Spring, 2016. The survey included self-report measures of depressive symptoms, social support, and self-stigma of help-seeking, as well as socio-demographic measures. Results indicated that depressive symptoms contributed significant variance to self-stigma of help-seeking; the relation was positive. The findings from 3-step regression analysis revealed that friends support partially mediate the relationship between depressive symptoms and self-stigma. With the transition to university, the importance of friends support becomes more influential and critical to help-seeking behaviors among university students than family support. Intervention strategies targeting shaping positive attitudes and norms toward mental illness and receiving mental health services among university students for promoting help-seeking behaviors were suggested.