Role of Self-esteem, social support, and optimism in college student mental health

Background: Mental health issues are assuming greater importance in college students; recent literature reports about 50% of college students suffer from one or more mental health disturbances.  The purpose of this study was to assess the mental health of a sample of college students and model correlates of mental health for intervention measurement. Methods: Data from 200 students were collected for this study. Power analysis was calculated to determine a sufficient sample size for developing the model. Mental health was predicted by the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale K-6. The K-6 has demonstrated consistent psychometric properties across major socio-demographic groups. Correlates of mental health measured included self-esteem, social support, and optimism measured by the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (PSSS), and the Revised Life Orientation Test (LOT-R). Regression modeling was applied to fit the measurement and structural models using Kline’s two-step procedure. Results: The mean mental health score of respondents was 22.81, suggesting that on average the sample was of sound mental health. The cumulative percentage of the sample that scored less than 19 was 13.2%. Significant paths were found for all direct path coefficients. Combined, the significant predictors resulted in R² adjusted value of 0.294 (p < 0.001), suggesting the fitted model explained 29.4% of variance in mental health of participating students. Conclusion: The final model identified RSES, PSSS, and LOT-R as significant predictors of the mental health of college students. Recommendations and practical applications for mental health interventions for college students are provided.