Effect of Family Cohesion on Depression of Chinese College Students in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Chain Mediation Effect of Perceived Social Support and Intentional Self-Regulation

Jingjing Wang¹, Xiangli Guan^1,*, Yue Zhang², Yang Li¹, Md Zahir Ahmed³, Mary C. Jobe⁴, Oli Ahmed⁵
1 School of Teacher Education, Yuxi Normal University, Yuxi, 653100, China
2 Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
3 School of Psychology, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, 730070, China
4 Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington DC, 20052, USA
5 Department of Psychology, University of Chittagong, Chattogram, 4331, Bangladesh
* Corresponding Author: Xiangli Guan. Email: guanxiangli@yxnu.edu.cn

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion https://doi.org/10.32604/ijmhp.2022.025570

Received 20 July 2022; Accepted 29 August 2022; Published online 22 September 2022

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Abstract

Individuals’ perceptions, attitudes, and patterns of getting along with family members are important factors influencing Chinese people’s self-evaluation. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of family cohesion on depression and the role of perceived social support and intentional self-regulation in this association. A hypothesized model of the association of family cohesion, perceived social support, intentional self-regulation, and depression was examined. A convenience sampling method was used to survey 1,180 college students in Yunnan Province using self-report. Data were collected using the Family Cohesion Scale, the Perceived Social Support Scale, the Intentional Self-Regulation Scale, and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. The findings revealed low to moderate correlation between the variables studied. College students’ family cohesion was a negative predictor of their depression. This association was also mediated by the knock-on effect of perceived social support and intentional self-regulation. These findings show how family cohesion affects college students’ depressive status. Specifically, these results help demonstrate the importance of family cohesion, perceived social support, and intentional self-regulation in optimizing students’ depression, which in turn can promote better psychological states.