Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2025
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Source Publication
Journal of American College Health
Source ISSN
0744-8481
Original Item ID
DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2024.2446442
Abstract
Objective. The transition to college is associated with rising rates of depressive symptoms and decreased well-being. It is critical to identify protective psychological factors for this period. One possible protective factor is psychological flexibility, or the ability to pursue self-identified values despite distressing thoughts and emotions. This study examined associations among psychological flexibility components and well-being outcomes in first semester college students.
Participants: The sample consisted of 238 diverse first-semester college students recruited from five universities.
Method: Using structural equation modeling, we examined associations among three components of psychological flexibility and two dimensions of well-being (i.e., depressive symptoms and sense of belonging at college).
Results: All three psychological flexibility components were associated with less severe depressive symptoms, but only valued action was associated with higher sense of belonging.
Conclusions: Results highlight psychological flexibility as a novel set of resilience factors with differential associations with key outcomes during the transition to college.
Recommended Citation
Hsu, Ti; Nardini, Cristina; Velez, Gabriel M.; and Raposa, Elizabeth, "Differential Associations Among Psychological Flexibility Components, Depressive Symptoms, and Sense of Belonging in First Semester College Students" (2025). College of Education Faculty Research and Publications. 659.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/edu_fac/659
Comments
Accepted version. Journal of American College Health, Vol. 73, No. 10 (2025): 3845-3854. DOI. © 2025 Taylor & Francis (Routledge). Used with permission.