AUTHOR=Wang Jing , Chen Yu , Chen Huimin , Hua Long , Wang Jun , Jin Yuelong , He Lianping , Chen Yan , Yao Yingshui 

TITLE=The mediating role of coping strategies between depression and social support and the moderating effect of the parent–child relationship in college students returning to school: During the period of the regular prevention and control of COVID-19

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=Volume 14 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.991033

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2023.991033

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Objective</title><p>According to the WHO, compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic, young people showed a significant increase in depressive symptoms. In light of the recent coronavirus pneumonia pandemic, this study was conducted to determine how social support, coping style, parent-child relationships, and depression are associated. We investigated how these factors interacted and affected the prevalence of depression during this challenging and unheard-of time. Our research may help both individuals and healthcare professionals better comprehend and assist those who are coping with the pandemic’s psychological effects.</p></sec><sec><title>Design and main outcome measures</title><p>3,763 students from a medical college in Anhui Province were investigated with Social Support Rate Scale, Trait Coping Style Questionnaire, and Self-rating Depression Scale.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>When the pandemic situation was normalizing, social support was associated with depression and the coping style of college students (<italic>p &lt;</italic> 0.01). During the period of pandemic normalization, the parent–child relationship moderated the relationship between social support and positive coping (<italic>t</italic> = −2.45, <italic>p &lt;</italic> 0.05); the parent–child relationship moderated the relationship between social support and negative coping (<italic>t</italic> = −4.29, <italic>p &lt;</italic> 0.01); and the parent–child relationship moderated the association between negative coping and depression (<italic>t</italic> = 2.08, <italic>p &lt;</italic> 0.05).</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusion</title><p>Social support has an impact on depression in the period of the regular prevention and control of COVID-19 through the mediating role of coping style and the moderating effect of the parent–child relationship.</p></sec>