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

This study examined how distress—defined as the interaction between hassles and perceived stress—relates to college students' mental health, distinguishing between social and nonsocial distress, and whether perceived social support and self-compassion moderate these relationships. Surveying 185 students at a Southeastern U.S. university, the researchers found that both social and nonsocial distress were significantly associated with greater mental illness (depression and anxiety) and lower mental wellness (happiness and love of life), with nonsocial distress showing stronger correlations. While higher perceived social support and self-compassion correlated with better mental health outcomes, neither factor moderated (buffered) the impact of distress on mental health. The findings suggest that perceived support and self-compassion are beneficial regardless of distress levels, highlighting their potential as targets for interventions to improve college students' psychological well-being.