Xiaohang Wang, Xingfa Long, Xinyuan Zhang, XinJing Wang
Self-compassion was directly associated with psychological help-seeking delay among college students and was also indirectly associated with help-seeking delay through mental health problems and negative academic emotions, both independently and sequentially. Given the cross-sectional design, these findings should be interpreted as associational rather than causal, and longitudinal studies are needed to confirm the proposed directional relationships among these variables.
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the associations among self-compassion, mental health status, negative academic emotions, and psychological help-seeking delay among college students, with particular attention to the indirect associations involving mental health status and negative academic emotions.
METHODS: A convenience sampling method was used to survey 753 college students. Data were collected using the Self-Compassion Scale, General Health Questionnaire, Negative Academic Emotions Scale, and Psychological Help-Seeking Delay Scale. Structural equation modeling was conducted to examine the proposed pattern of associations among the study variables, and indirect associations were evaluated using bootstrapping procedures.
RESULTS: Significant correlations were found among the key variables (ps < 0.001). Analyses of indirect associations revealed significant indirect associations involving mental health problems and negative academic emotions in the association between self-compassion and psychological help-seeking delay. The total effect between self-compassion and psychological help-seeking delay was significant (β = -0.46, 95% CI [-0.527, -0.391]). Specifically, significant indirect associations were observed involving mental health problems (β = -0.09, 95% CI [-0.185, -0.022]) and negative academic emotions (β = -0.13, 95% CI [-0.240, -0.056]). Furthermore, a significant sequential indirect association involving mental health problems and negative academic emotions was identified (β = -0.10, 95% CI [-0.189, -0.054]).
CONCLUSION: Self-compassion was directly associated with psychological help-seeking delay among college students and was also indirectly associated with help-seeking delay through mental health problems and negative academic emotions, both independently and sequentially. Given the cross-sectional design, these findings should be interpreted as associational rather than causal, and longitudinal studies are needed to confirm the proposed directional relationships among these variables.