The causal relationship between social support and psychological well‑being among undergraduate students in North China

BACKGROUND: Psychological well‑being is an important part that undergraduate students and universities cannot neglect as it helps students lead a better study life at the university. Various studies revealed that social support can affect students’ psychological well‑being. However, the causal relationship between social support and psychological well‑being has received little attention in North China. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to analyze the causal relationship between social support and psychological well‑being among undergraduate students in North China. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The survey approach was adopted and conducted with a total of 689 undergraduate students in North China. Data were collected using a reliable questionnaire. Data analysis was performed with descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation, and structural equation modeling at P < 0.01 significance level using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and Linear Structural Relations (LISREL). RESULTS: The overall levels of social support and psychological well‑being among undergraduate students in North China were high. All observed variables in this study were significantly correlated. The findings also confirmed that the causal relationship between social support and undergraduate students’ psychological well‑being in North China fitted to the empirical data well (χ² [22, N = 689] = 27.69, χ²/degree of freedom [df] = 1.26, P = 0.19, goodness of fit index [GFI] = 0.99, adjusted goodness of fit index [AGFI] = 0.98, comparative fit index [CFI] = 1.00, standardized root mean square residual [SRMR] = 0.02, root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA] = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Undergraduate students’ psychological well‑being had been significantly affected by social support in North China. The findings from the current study will be useful for university administrators to develop strategies for the enhancement of undergraduate students’ psychological well‑being.