Chain mediating roles of rumination and emotion regulation self-efficacy in the relationship between social support and depression among college students.

This study explores the relationship between social support(SS) and depression in college students, focusing on the mediating roles of rumination and emotion regulation self-efficacy (ERSE). A survey was conducted with 1,433 Chinese university students (53.3% male, M = 20.02, SD = 1.78) from four universities in Jiangxi Province. Participants completed the SS Scale, Rumination Thinking Scale, Emotion Regulation Self-efficacy Scale, and Self-Rating Depression Scale. Data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0 for descriptive and regression analysis, with mediation effects tested via the PROCESS macro. (1) SS negatively affected depression in college students (β = -0.12, t = -5.8, p < 0.001). (2) Rumination and ERSE independently mediated the relationship between SS and depression.The mediation effect values are 0.15 and 0.03, respectively, and the 95% confidence intervals do not include 0. (3) Rumination and ERSE also played a chain-mediating role in this relationship.The chain mediation effect values are 0.01, and the 95% confidence interval does not include 0. This study highlights the psychological mechanisms through which SS influences depression in college students, providing valuable insights for interventions aimed at preventing depression in this population.