The role of social support, being present and self-kindness in university student well-being

an article by Helen M. Stallman and Belinda Chiera (University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia) and Jeneva L. Ohan (The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia) published in British Journal of Guidance & Counselling Volume 46 Issue 4 (2018)

Abstract

Poor well-being in university students is a serious concern. Using self-kindness – an attitude of understanding and benevolence in times of adversity or failure – may be key to enabling students to maintain well-being despite the pressures inherent to their student role.

This study aimed to test a theoretically guided model of how self-kindness, along with the ability to be in the present moment and the experience of receiving social support, contribute to well-being in university students. Participants were 6,195 university students who completed a web-based survey.

Structural equation modelling analyses confirmed our hypotheses, showing that:

1. receiving social support is important to the capacity for self-kindness both directly and indirectly through the ability to ‘be present’; and
2. the relationship between social support and well-being is partially mediated by the practices of self-kindness and being present.

Overall, the model explained 39% of the variance in student well-being. These findings have implications for our understanding of well-being in university students, as well as the importance of considering self-kindness, on its own, as a target for intervention.

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