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Religion, Purpose in Life, Social Support, and Psychological Distress in Chinese University Students

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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.

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Acknowledgments

This study was partly supported by the National Natural Science Funds of China (81060242) and National Undergraduate Scientific and Technological Innovation Project (2013-11). The funders did not involve in study design, data analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology and Statistics, School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, China

    Zhizhong Wang, Harold G. Koenig & Hui Ma

  2. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Box 3400, Durham, NC, 27710, USA

    Harold G. Koenig

  3. Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA

    Harold G. Koenig

  4. Department of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University (KAU), Jeddah, 22254, Saudi Arabia

    Harold G. Koenig & Saad Al Shohaib

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  1. Zhizhong Wang
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Correspondence to Harold G. Koenig.

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Wang, Z., Koenig, H.G., Ma, H. et al. Religion, Purpose in Life, Social Support, and Psychological Distress in Chinese University Students. J Relig Health 55, 1055–1064 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-016-0184-0

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