Does Perceived Social Support Affect Anxiety Level among University Students? Findings from A Cross-Sectional Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22317/jcms.v11i6.1944Keywords:
Perceived Social Support, Anxiety Level, University Students, Mental Health, Saudi ArabiaAbstract
Objective: This research examines the role of perceived social support (PSS) in impacting the anxiety level of university students in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).
Methods: 446 university students participated voluntarily from various institutions in KSA. A convenience sampling approach was used to finalize these participants. An online close-ended survey was shared with participants for data collection. This survey was conducted between March 10 and May 10, 2025. Both constructs (e.g., PSS, and anxiety) were measured using validated scales. Furthermore, the personal attributes of participants such as age, academic grade, and sleeping satisfaction were counted in as control variables. The collected analysis consists off sample attributes’ summary, descriptive statistics, diagnostic test for basic assumptions, and hierarchical regression estimates. These analyses were performed using SPSS version 27.
Results: The findings revealed that age, academic grade, and sleeping satisfaction explained 3.8% of variation in anxiety. Age (β = 0.110 to 0.240, and P-values < 0.10 to < 0.01) and sleeping satisfaction (β = 0.237, and P-value < 0.05 to < 0.01) were positive predictors, but academic grade (β = –0.267, P-values < 0.10 to < 0.05) was a negative predictor. However, when PSS was entered in hierarchal regression analysis, the explained variance significantly increased to 64.2%. Additionally, PSS significantly decreased anxiety level (β = –0.570, and P value < 0.01). It inferred that increasing the social support plays a robust role in decreasing the anxiety levels.
Conclusion: The study concludes that perceived support from friends and family play an important part in decreasing anxiety levels among university students. Additionally, it has a greater impact compared to lifestyle and demographic factors. This support network intervention may have applications in improving mental health among this subject population. Further research into some of these selected programs enhancing social support as a buffer against anxiety among university students in Saudi Arabia would be beneficial.
References
Scarpis E, Del Pin M, Ruscio E, Tullio A, Brusaferro S, Brunelli L. Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression within the UNiversity community: the cross-sectional UN-SAD study. BMC Public Health. 2022;22(1):1479.
Mohamad NE, Sidik SM, Akhtari-Zavare M, Gani NA. The prevalence risk of anxiety and its associated factors among university students in Malaysia: a national cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health. 2021;21(1):438.
Mahdavi P, Valibeygi A, Moradi M, Sadeghi S. Relationship Between Achievement Motivation, Mental Health and Academic Success in University Students. Community Health Equity Research & Policy. 2021;43(3):311-7.
Sarper E, Rodrigues DL. The Role of Perceived Social Support in the Grief Experiences of More Anxious and Self-Compassionate People. OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying. 2024:00302228241229484.
Ebrahimi H, Rahmani F, Ghorbani K. Relationships between nurses’ perceived social support, emotional labor, presenteeism, and psychiatric distress during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study. BMC Psychology. 2025;13(1):458.
Meshi D, Ellithorpe ME. Problematic social media use and social support received in real-life versus on social media: Associations with depression, anxiety and social isolation. Addictive Behaviors. 2021;119:106949.
Zhu W, Gao J, Guo J, Wang L, Li W. Anxiety, depression, and sleep quality among breast cancer patients in North China: Mediating roles of hope and medical social support. Supportive Care in Cancer. 2023;31(9):514.
Shu Y, Lin W, Yang J, Huang P, Li B, Zhang X. How social support predicts anxiety among university students during COVID-19 control phase: Mediating roles of self-esteem and resilience. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy. 2022;22(2):490-505.
Coetzee B, Haine P, Kidd M, Shongwe L, Janse Van Vuuren M, Kagee A. Coping in crisis: The role of sense of coherence, life satisfaction, and resilience in the relationship between depression, social support, fear of COVID-19, and perceived vulnerability to disease among nurses in South Africa. Journal of Health Psychology. 2024:13591053241279000.
Chih-Cheng L, Wei-Sho H, Yi-Hsin L, Yao-Chung C. Exploring the Sequential Mediation Effects of Perceived Social Support, Perceived Hope, and Perceived Stress on the Subjective Well-Being of University Students: An Empirical Cross-Sectional Study From Taiwan. Psychology in the Schools. 2025;62(7):2047-59.
Kumar R. Assessment of Depression and Anxiety Among Public Health Students: A Cross-Sectional Study in University of Hail, Saudi Arabia. Journal of Contemporary Medical Sciences. 2024;10(3):221-7.
Kumar R, Yousif AO, Humaida MI. Investigation of the Relationship Between University Students' Nomophobia and Psychological Distress: A Cross-sectional Study. International Journal of Medical Sciences. 2025;22(12):3154-61.
Kliem S, Mößle T, Rehbein F, Hellmann DF, Zenger M, Brähler E. A brief form of the Perceived Social Support Questionnaire (F-SozU) was developed, validated, and standardized. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology. 2015;68(5):551-62.
Alghadir A, Manzar MD, Anwer S, Albougami A, Salahuddin M. Psychometric Properties of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale Among Saudi University Male Students. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment. 2020;16(null):1427-32.
Huo T, Zou R, Liu Y, Li Q, Tang W, Ruan J, et al. The association of stress perception on anxiety, depression and sleep quality in parents of children with burns: The moderating effect of social support. Burns. 2024;50(6):1652-61.
Maffei A, Scarpa E, Patron E, Sessa P. Social anxiety influences the stress-buffering potential of social presence: Evidence from cardiovascular and affective reactivity under stress. PLOS ONE. 2025;20(6):e0325303.
Wang Y. An interactive online educational environment to reduce anxiety, improve emotional well-being, and critical thinking for college students. Acta Psychologica. 2024;248:104347.
Liu XQ, Guo YX, Xu Y. Risk factors and digital interventions for anxiety disorders in college students: Stakeholder perspectives. World journal of clinical cases. 2023;11(7):1442-57.
Parungao A. Anxiety, Depression, Coping Styles, and Perceived Social Support Among University Students: A Mediation and Moderation Analyses. Journal of Interdisciplinary Perspectives. 2024;2(9):219-33.
Chen H, Liu Y, Qi Ta, Qin Z, Zheng S, Guo S. Exploring the influence of college students’ crisis life events on suicidal ideation: a chain multiple mediation model linking social support, anxiety and depression. Current Psychology. 2025.
Hyseni Duraku Z, Davis H, Hamiti E. Mental health, study skills, social support, and barriers to seeking psychological help among university students: a call for mental health support in higher education. Frontiers in Public Health. 2023;Volume 11 - 2023.
Lábadi B, Arató N, Budai T, Inhóf O, Stecina DT, Sík A, et al. Psychological well-being and coping strategies of elderly people during the COVID-19 pandemic in Hungary. Aging & Mental Health. 2022;26(3):570-7.
Yang G, Xiangming L. Graduate socialization and anxiety: insights via hierarchical regression analysis and beyond. Studies in Higher Education. 2025;50(7):1365-81.
Nadaf M, Eljo JOJG. Exploring the Moderating Role of Demographic Variables in the Influence of Social Networks on the Mental Health of the Older Persons: An Empirical Study With Social Work Interventions. Ageing International. 2024;49(4):940-61.
Ochnik D, Adamczyk K. Exploring the factors associated with well-being and ill-being among single adults: A network analysis. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. 2025:02654075251358104.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of Contemporary Medical Sciences
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
