The loneliness of modern people is becoming more and more prominent, and has brought profoundly negative effects on mental health. Social support is an important predictor of loneliness. However, the size of the correlation reported by studies on the relation between social support and loneliness varies greatly. The aim of this meta-analysis is to determine the relation between social support and loneliness. One hundred and seventy-seven articles (N = 113,427) were identified, and robust variance estimation with random effects were used. As expected, higher levels of social support were negatively correlated with loneliness (r = -0.39). The association between social support and loneliness were also moderated by several variables. Specifically, the negative relationship between loneliness and social support among rural populations is stronger than that of urban populations in Chinese samples, the effect of perceived social support (r = -0.45) on loneliness is greater than that of other social supports (r = -0.36), and the friend support (r = -0.48) played a more important role in reducing loneliness than that of two other supports (family support: r = -0.34; significant other support: r = -0.40). The current results support robust links between social support and loneliness, emphasizing the important role of social support in reducing levels of loneliness, this may have some implications for future research and loneliness treatments.

Attachment theory provides a framework for understanding the correlations among interpersonal relationships, stress, and health. Moreover, adult attachment is an important predictor of mental health. However, there is a lack of systematic reviews that simultaneously examine the associations between adult attachment and both positive and negative indicators of mental health. Consequently, we meta-analyzed 224 studies examining the associations between adult attachment and mental health, using robust variance estimation with random effects. The results (k = 245 samples, N = 79,722) showed that higher levels of attachment anxiety and avoidance were positively correlated with negative affect (e.g., depression, anxiety, loneliness) and they were negatively correlated with positive affect (e.g., life satisfaction, self-esteem). More specifically, there were moderate associations between attachment avoidance and negative mental health (r = .28) and positive mental health (r = -.24). Likewise, there were moderate associations between attachment anxiety and negative mental health (r = .42) and positive mental health (r = -.29). Furthermore, the association between the attachment dimensions and mental health outcomes was also moderated by several variables (e.g., gender, age). Finally, these associations remained statistically significant even when the attachment dimensions were mutually controlled using meta-analytic structural equation modeling. Overall, attachment anxiety had larger associations with mental health than did attachment avoidance. Thus, the current results support robust links between adult attachment and mental health. This may have implications for future research and mental health treatments. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented significant challenges to mental health worldwide, exacerbating mental health symptoms across various populations. This meta-analysis aims to evaluate the relationship between social support and mental health symptoms, specifically depression, general anxiety, and stress, during the pandemic. We conducted a comprehensive literature search that identified 210 studies involving a total of 216,104 participants. Data were analyzed using robust variance estimation with random effects to assess correlations between social support and mental health symptoms, while also examining potential moderating factors such as age, gender, and sample types. Our analysis revealed a significant negative correlation between social support and overall mental health symptoms ( r = −0.259; 95% CI: −0.29, −0.24; p < 0.01). Notably, high-risk populations exhibited a stronger association ( r = −0.302) compared to students ( r = −0.263) and the general population ( r = −0.219). Furthermore, the correlation between social support and depression ( r = −0.304) was significantly stronger than that for generalized anxiety ( r = −0.238) and stress ( r = −0.220), underscoring the critical role of family support during this period. These findings suggest that while social support positively influences mental health symptoms, its effectiveness may be more limited than anticipated. As the pandemic continues to impact mental well-being, there is an urgent need for targeted strategies to enhance the effectiveness of social support in addressing mental health challenges. This research highlights the importance of prioritizing social support mechanisms in public health responses to future crises.

Purpose: In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, mental health concerns have become more prevalent worldwide. However, there is a lack of research specifically addressing the mental well-being of college art students. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the prevalence of depressive symptoms among college music students and explore the factors that predict and alleviate these symptoms amidst the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: An online survey was conducted among college music students (n = 407) from two universities at May 2022 in China. Self-report scales were used to measure levels of depression (Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale), positive childhood experiences (Benevolent Childhood Experiences Scale), social support (Multi-Dimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support), and regulatory emotional self-efficacy (Regulatory Emotional Self-Efficacy Scale). Hayes PROCESS macro for SPSS was used to test the hypothesized effects of regulatory emotional self-efficacy and social support in the relationship between positive childhood experiences and depression. Results: Results showed that, the prevalence of depression symptoms of the current study sample was 64.13%, positive childhood experiences had a significant and negative predictive effect on the depression of college music students, and the relation was partially mediated by regulatory emotional self-efficacy. Furthermore, social support moderated the relationship between positive childhood experiences and regulatory emotional self-efficacy, the relation was significant only for students with higher levels of social support, social support may enhance and amplify the positive impacts of positive childhood experiences on regulatory emotional self-efficacy. Conclusion: The findings reveal a significant prevalence of depression among college music students during the COVID-19 epidemic, underscoring the seriousness of the issue. Moreover, this study contributes to a deeper comprehension of how positive childhood experiences alleviate depression among college music students. These insights hold potential for informing mental health education initiatives tailored to college art students in the post-pandemic era, offering valuable guidance for promoting their well-being and resilience.