title: The relationship between financial strain, perceived stress, psychological symptoms, and academic and social integration in undergraduate students.
abstract: Financial strain may directly or indirectly (i.e., through perceived stress) impact students' psychological symptoms and academic and social integration, yet few studies have tested these relationships. The authors explored the mediating effect of perceived stress on the relationship between financial strain and 2 important outcomes: psychological symptomology and academic and social integration.
  
  
  
  Participants were 157 undergraduate students. Data were collected from December 2013 to March 2014.
  
  
  
  Cross-sectional data collection conducted using online survey software.
  
  
  
  It was found that perceived stress mediated the relationship between financial strain and (a) psychological symptomology and (b) academic and social integration. Both models included first-generation status as a covariate.
  
  
  
  Results suggest that perceived stress is an important intervention target for reducing psychological symptoms and improving academic and social integration for undergraduate students. Implications for university health centers and mental health professionals include incorporating a public health model to minimize stress risk.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , Roosevelt University , Chicago , Illinois , USA.|b Department of Psychiatry , University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , USA.
authors.forename: Danielle R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , Roosevelt University , Chicago , Illinois , USA.
authors.forename: Steven A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Meyers
authors.affiliation: b Department of Psychiatry , University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , USA.
authors.forename: Rinad S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Beidas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005376:Financial Management / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010465:Perception; D012934:Social Isolation / Q000523:psychology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities / Q000458:organization & administration
keywords: Academic integration; financial strain; first-generation student; low-income student; mental health; perceived stress; social integration