The relationship between freshmen’s perceived social support and learning flow: the chain mediating role of perceived stress and depression

Abstract

Purpose: Learning flow is a crucial psychological state that enhances academic engagement and well-being, yet its formation among freshmen remains underexplored. This study aimed to explore the relationships between perceived social support, perceived stress, depression, and learning flow among freshmen, and test a chain mediation model in which perceived stress and depression link perceived social support to learning flow. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among 805 freshmen from a comprehensive university in China. The assessment of key variables was conducted using four validated scales, including the Perceived Social Support Scale, the Perceived Stress Scale, the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire, and the Flow Short Scale. Regression analysis was performed using the PROCESS macro (Model 6), and the significance of indirect effects was tested through the Bootstrap method with 5,000 resamples. Results: The results indicated that: (1) freshmen’s learning flow was at a moderate level, with room for improvement; (2) perceived social support was significantly and positively associated with learning flow (β = 0.324, p < 0.001); (3) perceived stress mediated the relationship between perceived social support and learning flow (indirect effect = 0.167, 27.9% of the total effect); (4) depression also served as a mediator between perceived social support and learning flow (indirect effect = 0.054, 9.0% of the total effect); (5) perceived stress and depression played a chain mediating role between perceived social support and learning flow (indirect effect = 0.054, 9.0% of the total effect). The total indirect effect accounted for 45.9% of the total effect. Conclusion: This study revealed that perceived social support is related to freshmen’s learning flow through psychological health variables, providing empirical evidence and practical insights for promoting psychological well-being and learning engagement in higher education.