Open Access

ARTICLE

Who Exceeds Support Matters: A Moderated Mediation Analysis of Support Gaps and Psychological Distress among International Students in China

Yang Liu¹, Danni Liao^2,*, Alexander S. English³

1 School of English and International Studies, Beijing Foreign Studies University, Beijing, China
2 Department of Communication, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
3 School of Psychology, College of Liberal Arts, Wenzhou-Kean University, Wenzhou, China

* Corresponding Author: Danni Liao. Email:

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion 2026, 28(9), 12 https://doi.org/10.32604/ijmhp.2026.083903

Received 13 April 2026; Accepted 29 May 2026; Issue published 22 September 2026

Abstract

Background: While previous research has highlighted the pivotal role of sufficient social support in reducing psychological distress among international students, it has largely overlooked the discrepancy between the support they receive and the support they desire. Drawing on the support gaps framework, this study aims to examine international students’ experiences in China and the indirect effect of support gaps on their psychological distress, considering the types and sources of support. Methods: The participants in this study were international students in China (N = 232), aged 18 to 40 years at the time of data collection, and were recruited through convenience and snowball sampling between October and December 2023. Four moderated mediation models were performed individually using PROCESS Model 7 (version 4.0), along with paired-samples t-tests and McNemar’s tests performed in SPSS 31.0. Results: The main findings revealed that international students in China experienced support deficits, which were reported to be greater when interacting with Chinese individuals. Socioemotional support surpluses from Chinese individuals were indirectly and negatively associated with international students’ psychological distress through a positive association with perceived support quality. However, no significant moderated mediation was found for support deficits and informational support surpluses. Conclusions: These findings highlight the distinct roles of Chinese individuals and peer sojourners in shaping international students’ experiences and suggest boundary conditions for the hypothesized moderated mediation model, with collectivistic cultural orientations potentially impacting the way support gaps affect mental health outcomes. This study extends the support gaps framework by examining discrepancies in social support within an intercultural, non-Western context. It also underscores the need for a culturally sensitive approach to social support that better aligns with international students’ actual needs, thereby promoting their overall mental health while studying abroad.

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