Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess how perceptions of family support (instrumental and relational-emotional) are related to psychological distress among commuter students and whether household income, gender, year in college and first-generation status moderate this association. Participants: Undergraduate students at a suburban commuter college in the Northeast during October/November 2019. Methods: Students completed an online survey comprised of measures of psychological distress, family support and sociodemographic information. Data were analyzed using independent t tests, bivariate correlations, and regressions. Results: On average, participants exhibited “high distress,” mean = 23.29 (SD = 8.93). Distress scores differed by income background and gender. Lower income students and females exhibited significantly higher levels of distress. Increased relational-emotional support was associated with decreased distress for lower income and female students. Instrumental support was not associated distress. Conclusion: A family component to mental health counseling could be beneficial for commuter students.

摘要

目标：本研究的目的是评估家庭支持（工具和关系-情感）的感知如何与通勤学生的心理困扰相关，以及家庭收入、性别、大学年级和第一代身份是否调节这种关联。参与者： 2019 年 10 月/11 月期间东北部郊区通勤学院的本科生。方法：学生完成了一项在线调查，其中包括心理压力、家庭支持和社会人口统计信息。使用独立t检验、双变量相关和回归分析数据。结果：平均而言，参与者表现出“高度痛苦”，平均值 = 23.29 (标准差 = 8.93）。痛苦分数因收入背景和性别而异。收入较低的学生和女性表现出明显更高的痛苦程度。增加关系情感支持与减少低收入和女学生的痛苦有关。工具支持与痛苦无关。结论：心理健康咨询的家庭组成部分可能对通勤学生有益。