Psychological Distress Mediates the Relationship Between Social Support and Satisfaction with Life

Abstract

University students are susceptible to psychological issues due to various academic and social stressors. Low life satisfaction among university students can bring about various negative outcomes that can impact their overall well-being and academic success. This study aims at examining the mediating role of psychological distress in the association between social support and life satisfaction. This cross-sectional study included 368 (F= 243, 66%; M= 125, 34%) university students from a public university in Yozgat, Turkey. The data were collected using the Brief Symptom Inventory, Satisfaction with Life Scale and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. The findings demonstrated that social support positively predicted life satisfaction and negatively predicted psychological distress. In addition, psychological distress negatively predicted life satisfaction. Moreover, the SEM analysis indicated that psychological distress played a partial mediating role in the association between social support and life satisfaction. These results highlight the importance of addressing social support and psychological distress in interventions aimed at increasing life satisfaction.