Social support and mental state of students

In view of the reported increase in the psychological burden of students, it is of special relevance to identify potential risk factors for mental impairment among student populations. This study examined the relationship between social support and psychological burden. In this epidemiological cross-sectional study 1006 registered students of the University of Goettingen reported in an anonymous online survey on the quality and quantity of their social support and any psychological symptoms. Relationships were examined in a correlational design. As predicted, students with low social support had a higher psychological burden. Hypotheses concerning the influence of specific kinds of social support on the relationship between social support and psychological symptoms were not confirmed. Students are not more isolated or have more social support than comparison groups. The results confirm the relationship between social support and psychological burden in the specific population of students and can contribute to developing target group-oriented interventional measures which could strengthen social networks.