Family Health and Mental Well-Being Among Young Filipino Undergraduates: The Mediating Role of Self-Care

Abstract

The family is a salient social institution influencing its members’ health capacities and outcomes. Particularly for collectivist societies like the Philippines, the family is a persistent social factor that shapes the health of its younger members, even during their college years. Following the health-promoting family framework, this study examines the relationship between family health and the mental well-being of young Filipino undergraduates and how self-care mediates this relationship. A total of 259 undergraduate students living with their families participated in this cross-sectional, simple mediation study. Data was collected via an online survey. Results suggest that family health has a significant positive effect on mental well-being ( B=3.227, p<.001). Moreover, self-care partially mediates (46.89%) family health and mental well-being ( B[indirect effect]=1.513, p<.001). Recommendations for mental health and helping professionals working in higher education settings are forwarded in this article.