Open Access

ARTICLE

The Risk Role of Defeat on the Mental Health of College Students: A Moderated Mediation Effect of Academic Stress and Interpersonal Relationships

Ruiyang Han¹, Tingting Xu^1,*, Yin Shi², Wuyi Liu³

1 School of Public Health, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, 261053, China
2 Faculty of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
3 School of Clinical Medicine, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, 261053, China

* Corresponding Author: Tingting Xu. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Healthy Lifestyle Behaviours and Mental Health in Children and Adolescents)

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion 2024, 26(9), 731-744. https://doi.org/10.32604/ijmhp.2024.054884

Received 10 June 2024; Accepted 01 August 2024; Issue published 20 September 2024

Abstract

Background: College students face significant academic and physiological changes, making them more susceptible to psychological issues such as depression, self-injury, and suicidal ideation. Feelings of defeat can exacerbate these risks by increasing academic stress. However, interpersonal relationships can moderate the impact of academic stress on students’ mental health. Utilizing the presage–process–product model, this study aims to empirically investigate how feelings of defeat influence depression, self-injury, and suicidal ideation among college students. Additionally, it explores the mediating role of academic stress and the moderating role of various types of interpersonal relationships. Methods: A total of 1612 college students (750 females, 862 males, mean age = 19.64 ± 0.62 years) were recruited through cluster sampling. Data were collected via offline questionnaires administered by a trained psychology teacher and a postgraduate student, ensuring high reliability with two examiners per class. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to examine the impact of defeat on mental health outcomes, while mediation analysis was conducted to assess the roles of academic stress and interpersonal relationships. Results: 1. Defeat is identified as a significant risk factor for mental health issues among college students; 2. Four distinct patterns of interpersonal relationships were identified: the interpersonal-relationship risk group, the father–child-relationship high-risk group, the general interpersonal-relationship group, and the superior interpersonal-relationship group; 3. Academic stress partially mediates the relationship between defeat and mental health issues such as depression, self-injury, and suicidal ideation; 4. Different interpersonal relationship models moderate the impact of academic stress on depression and suicidal ideation. Conclusion: Defeat is a significant risk factor for mental health problems in college students. Academic stress partially mediates the negative impact of defeat on mental health, while patterns of interpersonal relationships moderate this impact. Effective early prevention and intervention should focus on monitoring students’ stress levels and fostering warm, positive parent–child relationships.

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Keywords

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