The relationship between perceived social support and mental health among poor undergraduate students of local regular universities in China: The mediating role of psychological capital and the moderating role of left-behind experience

Abstract

Poor undergraduate students are at increased risk of mental health problems due to persistent financial hardship and the related psychosocial stressors. Although perceived social support has been identified as a protective factor, the mechanisms through which it influences mental health and the potential impact of left-behind experience remain insufficiently understood. Therefore, this study examined whether psychological capital mediates the relationship between perceived social support and mental health among poor undergraduate students and whether their left-behind experience moderates this mediating pathway. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 767 poor undergraduate students from three universities in China’s Shaanxi Province. They completed validated measures of perceived social support, psychological capital, and mental health, and data analysis was done using PROCESS Model 14. The results indicate that perceived social support positively predicted psychological capital and negatively predicted mental health problems. Also, psychological capital significantly mediated the relationship between perceived social support and mental health, and left-behind experience significantly moderated the association between psychological capital and mental health. Thus, psychological capital emerged as a key psychological mechanism linking perceived social support to better mental health, while left-behind experience weakens this protective pathway. Interventions should strengthen psychological capital and provide tailored psychological support for poor undergraduate students with left-behind experience