National identity and subjective well-being among college students: A sequential mediation analysis of collective and personal self-esteem

Luming Zhao¹, Jiaxi Zhang², Yan Zhang^3,*, Jiaxi Peng^4,*
1 School of Journalism, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
2 Department of Political Theory, PLA Rocket Force University of Engineering, Xi’an, 710025, China
3 Department of Military Medical Psychology, Fourth Military Medical University & Xijing Innovation Research Institute, Xi’an, 710032, China
4 Mental Health Education Center, Chengdu University, Chengdu, 610106, China
* Corresponding Author: Yan Zhang. Email: email ; Jiaxi Peng. Email: email

Journal of Psychology in Africa https://doi.org/10.32604/jpa.2025.067375

Received 01 May 2025; Accepted 04 December 2025; Published online 06 January 2026

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Abstract

The current study examined the roles of collective self-esteem and personal self-esteem in the relationship between national identity and subjective well-being. Participants were 583 Chinese college students (females = 49%; mean age = 19.25 ± 1.85 years). They completed measures of national identity, collective self-esteem, personal self-esteem, and subjective well-being. Path analysis findings result indicated national identity to influence the students’ subjective well-being through three pathways: (1) national identity → collective self-esteem → subjective well-being, meaning higher subjective wellbeing with collective self-esteem. (2) national identity → personal self-esteem → subjective well-being, to suggest higher personal self-esteem was associated with subjective wellbeing; (3) national identity → collective self-esteem → personal self-esteem → subjective well-being. Compared to simple mediation models constructed with only personal self-esteem or collective self-esteem as a single mediating variable, the chain mediation model better explains the mediating mechanism of national identity on subjective well-being (the variance explained by the mediating variables increased by 65.38% and 59.26%, respectively). The collective self-esteem and personal self-esteem mediation is consistent with social identity theory, whereby national identity enhances collective self-evaluation, which in turn bolsters personal self-worth and subjective well-being. These findings of the current study offer new insights into how national identity affects subjective well-being in collectivistic culture.