Can we talk?: The influence of emotional support deficits on mental health in college students.

INTRODUCTION

Many college students with mental health concerns rely on informal support, yet feeling constrained when disclosing distress may undermine its benefits. This study tested whether social constraints (ie, feeling misunderstood or discouraged from sharing) alter the association between perceived social support and symptoms of depression and anxiety.

METHODS

U.S. college students (N = 256; 44.9% = female, Mage = 19.5) completed measures of perceived social support, social constraints, depression, and anxiety. Moderation models examined whether constraints changed the association between perceived support and symptoms.

RESULTS

For depression, both lower perceived support and greater constraints predicted higher symptoms, but their interaction was not significant. For anxiety, higher constraints predicted higher symptoms, and higher perceived support was associated with lower anxiety only when constraints were low.

DISCUSSION: Perceived social support may protect against anxiety only when students feel understood when disclosing distress, highlighting the importance of campus climates that reduce disclosure-related constraints.