title: Religion, Purpose in Life, Social Support, and Psychological Distress in Chinese University Students.
abstract: We examined the relationship between religious involvement and psychological distress and explored the mediating effects of social support and purpose in life in university students in western, mid-western, and eastern China. Cross-sectional survey of a representative sample of 1812 university students was conducted. The Purpose in Life scale, Duke Social Support Index, and Religious Commitment Inventory-10 were administered, along with Kessler's Psychological Distress Scale. Structural equation modeling was used to test two models of the mediation hypothesis, examining direct, indirect, and total effects. Model 1 (with direction of effect hypothesized from religiosity to psychological distress) indicated that religious involvement had a direct effect on increasing psychological distress (β = 0.23, p < .01) with minor mediated effects. However, Model 2 (with direction of effect hypothesized from psychological distress to religiosity) indicated strong indirect protective effects of religiosity on psychological distress through purpose in life and social support (β = -.40, p < .01). The findings are consistent with the hypothesis that psychological distress increases religious involvement, which then increases purpose in life and social support that then lead to lower psychological distress.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Statistics, School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, China.
authors.forename: Zhizhong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Statistics, School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, China. Harold.Koenig@duke.edu.|Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Box 3400, Durham, NC, 27710, USA. Harold.Koenig@duke.edu.|Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA. Harold.Koenig@duke.edu.|Department of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University (KAU), Jeddah, 22254, Saudi Arabia. Harold.Koenig@duke.edu.
authors.forename: Harold G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Koenig
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Statistics, School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University (KAU), Jeddah, 22254, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Saad Al
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Shohaib
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D002681:China; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D013334:Students; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Mainland China; Psychological distress; Purpose in life; Religion; Social support
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