Distress, Social Support, and Self-Compassion: Relationships With Mental Health Among College Students

This study investigated how distress, conceptualized as an interaction between hassles and stress perceptions, related to mental health, whether the type of distress (social or nonsocial) was consequential, and whether perceived support and self-compassion attenuated these relationships. Students ( N = 185) from a mid-sized university in the southeast completed a survey. Survey questions pertained to hassles and stress perceptions, mental health (i.e., anxiety, depression, happiness, and love of life), perceived social support, and self-compassion. As predicted, students reporting more hassles and stress (both social and nonsocial) as well as those reporting less support and self-compassion, were worse off regarding mental illness and mental wellness. This was observed for both social and nonsocial distress. Although we did not support our hypotheses regarding buffering effects, we found perceived support and self-compassion are beneficial, regardless of hassles and stress levels. We discuss implications for students’ mental health and ideas for future research.