Song Yan, Li Huizi, Song Yuxin, Song Gexuan, Su Qing, Liu Na, Zheng Zheng, Sun Yueyi
Department of Psychology, School of Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China.
Department of Geriatric Psychology, School of Elderly Care Services and Management/School of Aging Industry, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China.
Front Psychol. 2025 Aug 20;16:1576596. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1576596. eCollection 2025.
To cope with the COVID-19, social isolation applied by countries around the world. These measures have significantly impacted public health, particularly among Chinese college students. Considering the significant impact of social isolation on social support, and the important value of social support for mental health, this study aims to explore the effects of social isolation on the mental health of Chinese college students during the pandemic.
The Social Support Scale, COVID-19-burnout Scale Questionnaire, and Brief Symptom Checklist were used in this survey. In November 2022, a total of 394 college students voluntarily participated in this survey. And 70.3% of them were female, mean age = 19.09 ± 0.82 years), with 31.0% ( = 122) isolated and 69.0% ( = 272) non-isolated.
(1) Compared with the non-isolated group, the isolated group of college students scored significantly lower on social support (t = -3.40, < 0.01), higher on COVID-19-burnout (t = 2.42, < 0.01) and psychological distress (t = 2.96, < 0.01); (2) Significant negative correlations emerged between social support and COVID-19-burnout (r = -0.142, < 0.01), as well as psychological distress (r = -0.356, < 0.01); (3) Within-family social support correlated negatively only with psychological distress (r = -0.314, < 0.01), whereas outside-family social support was negatively associated with both COVID-19-burnout (r = -0.157, < 0.01) and psychological distress (r = -0.339, < 0.01). (4) Isolation moderated the relationship between social support and COVID-19-burnout (β = -0.213, < 0.01; interaction β = 0.198, < 0.01), but not social support and psychological symptoms ( = 0.26).
This study found the negative impacts of social isolation and positive influence of social support during COVID-19 on the mental health and COVID-19-burnout of college students. It also highlights the influence of extra-family social support in reducing psychological distress and COVID-19-burnout. And isolation was found acted as a significant variable between social support and COVID-19-burnout. These results provide a new insight for understanding the mechanism through which social support impacts the mental health, and suggesting tailored interventions for Chinese college students in the context of COVID-19. The cultural characteristics during the isolation process and some limitations of this research were discussed also.
为应对新冠疫情，世界各国都采取了社交隔离措施。这些措施对公众健康产生了重大影响，尤其是对中国大学生而言。鉴于社交隔离对社会支持有重大影响，且社会支持对心理健康具有重要价值，本研究旨在探讨疫情期间社交隔离对中国大学生心理健康的影响。
本调查使用了社会支持量表、新冠疫情倦怠量表问卷和简明症状清单。2022年11月，共有394名大学生自愿参与了本调查。其中70.3%为女性，平均年龄=19.09±0.82岁），31.0%（=122）被隔离，69.0%（=272）未被隔离。
（1）与未被隔离组相比，被隔离的大学生组在社会支持方面得分显著更低（t=-3.40，<0.01），在新冠疫情倦怠方面得分更高（t=2.42，<0.01），在心理困扰方面得分更高（t=2.96，<0.01）；（2）社会支持与新冠疫情倦怠（r=-0.142，<0.01）以及心理困扰（r=-0.356, <0.01）之间出现显著负相关；（3）家庭内社会支持仅与心理困扰呈负相关（r=-0.314，<0.01），而家庭外社会支持与新冠疫情倦怠（r=-0.157，<0.01）和心理困扰均呈负相关（r=-0.339，<0.01）。（4）隔离调节了社会支持与新冠疫情倦怠之间的关系（β=-0.213，<0.01；交互作用β=0.198，<0.01），但未调节社会支持与心理症状之间的关系（=0.26）。
本研究发现了新冠疫情期间社交隔离的负面影响以及社会支持对大学生心理健康和新冠疫情倦怠的积极影响。它还强调了家庭外社会支持在减轻心理困扰和新冠疫情倦怠方面的影响。并且发现隔离是社会支持与新冠疫情倦怠之间的一个重要变量。这些结果为理解社会支持影响心理健康的机制提供了新的视角，并为新冠疫情背景下的中国大学生提出了有针对性的干预建议。还讨论了隔离过程中的文化特征以及本研究的一些局限性。
