Differential associations among psychological flexibility components, depressive symptoms, and sense of belonging in first semester college students.

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.