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<p>Interpersonal connections are closely linked to psychological well-being, yet relatively few studies have used egocentric network analysis to examine how personal network structure and composition are associated with anxious and depressive symptoms in China. Using face-to-face survey data collected from 307 Chinese college students in 2018, this study examines how core network characteristics, specifically, difficult ties and nonreciprocal support exchange, are associated with self-reported anxious and depressive symptoms. Ordinary least squares analyses show that students with a larger share of problematic ties report higher levels of anxious symptoms, while a larger proportion of ties in which alters provided more support than respondents is associated with depressive symptoms. These results highlight the ambivalent role of personal networks in university students’ mental health. That is, core networks may provide support, but they may also expose students to relational strain, imbalance, and obligation. By moving beyond general measures of social support, this study shows that the composition, reciprocity, and quality of specific ties matter for anxious and depressive symptoms among Chinese college students. Practically, universities and counselors should consider not only students’ access to social support, but also the strain embedded in their core relationships.</p>

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When Support Becomes Burdensome: Unequal and Problematic Ties in Personal Networks and Mental Health Among Chinese University Students

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月29日

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  • Jiabin Fan,
  • Wesley Shrum,
  • Oliver Garretson

摘要

Interpersonal connections are closely linked to psychological well-being, yet relatively few studies have used egocentric network analysis to examine how personal network structure and composition are associated with anxious and depressive symptoms in China. Using face-to-face survey data collected from 307 Chinese college students in 2018, this study examines how core network characteristics, specifically, difficult ties and nonreciprocal support exchange, are associated with self-reported anxious and depressive symptoms. Ordinary least squares analyses show that students with a larger share of problematic ties report higher levels of anxious symptoms, while a larger proportion of ties in which alters provided more support than respondents is associated with depressive symptoms. These results highlight the ambivalent role of personal networks in university students’ mental health. That is, core networks may provide support, but they may also expose students to relational strain, imbalance, and obligation. By moving beyond general measures of social support, this study shows that the composition, reciprocity, and quality of specific ties matter for anxious and depressive symptoms among Chinese college students. Practically, universities and counselors should consider not only students’ access to social support, but also the strain embedded in their core relationships.