SynthesisPloS one2025
A systematic review on the impact of social support on college students' wellbeing and mental health.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 26 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
26 citing papers in PubMed.
- Returning home and re-negotiating mental health: a qualitative study of help-seeking, stigma, and cultural identity among Algerian international student returnees.International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being · 2026Article
- Self-stigma and suicide cognitions in substance use disorder: the mediating role of psychological distress and the moderating role of social support.BMC psychiatry · 2026Article
- Association Between Self-Efficacy and Mental Health: Perceived Social Support as a Mediator.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Perceived Social Support as a Statistical Indirect Pathway Linking Adverse Childhood Experiences to Risky Behaviors Among University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Help-Seeking Self-Stigma and the Association Between Perceived Social Support and Psychological Distress Among Kuwait University Students: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Moderation Analysis.European journal of investigation in health, psychology and education · 2026Article
- Rethinking social media metrics: Daily interaction valence and well-being in university students.The British journal of social psychology · 2026Article
- A longitudinal psychometric evaluation of a context-sensitive positive health questionnaire for measuring broad health in Dutch adults.Journal of patient-reported outcomes · 2026Article
- Investigating spiritual well-being and its relationship with health behaviors, depression, and academic achievement in medical students: a structural equation modeling study.BMC psychology · 2026Article
- Perceived Academic Support and Mental Well-Being Among Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Trainees in Kenya: The Mediating Role of Academic Resilience.European journal of investigation in health, psychology and education · 2026Article
- Adversity, social systems, and mental health in a national Canadian sample: a person-context network analysis.Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology · 2026Article
- Physical activity, emotional eating, screen-based sedentary behavior, and physical and mental health in chinese university students: a cross-sectional study.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Lifestyles, Self-Esteem and Mental Well-Being in Students Transitioning to Higher Education.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- The Impact of a University Counselling and Psychological Support Service Focused on Positive Resources and Student Well-Being.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Linking Critical Thinking Dispositions to Well-Being in Higher Education: A Cross-Sectional Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Associations of traditional social support andFrontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Health behaviors, physical activity, and subjective well-being: rural-urban inequities among double first-class university graduate students in China.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Positive childhood experiences and life satisfaction among Chinese college students: serial mediation through perceived social support and meaning in life.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Article
- Perceived social support and academic life satisfaction among medical students: the mediating role of academic procrastination.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Swimming classes as campus blue space: a qualitative study of emotion regulation, social support and psychological resilience among university students.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Relative associations of physical activity, social support, and self-control with resilience among vocational college students: a multisite cross-sectional study.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
In recent years, growing attention has been directed toward undergraduate students' mental health and overall well-being. The transition to university life, coupled with academic and social demands, has been shown to strain students' psychological functioning considerably. Social support is often cited as a protective factor that can help mitigate these pressures; however, in-depth investigations focusing specifically on this relationship within the college student demographic remain relatively limited. This review examines how social support influences university students' mental health and well-being outcomes. A systematic analysis was carried out, encompassing 51 empirical studies published between 2010 and 2024. These studies were identified through a comprehensive search of six major academic databases: Web of Science (WOS), Scopus, ProQuest, APA PsycINFO, PubMed, and Cochrane. The review highlights the nuanced relationship between social support and student well-being, underscoring the significance of social resources in shaping psychological outcomes during the higher education experience. The review identified both direct and indirect effects of social support. Direct effects include improved psychological and emotional well-being, reduced stress, and better health behaviours. Indirect effects highlight social support's role as a mediator, enhancing resilience, self-esteem, and life satisfaction by providing emotional and informational resources. These results emphasize the importance of nurturing supportive relationships to promote student well-being.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.