Relationship between ostracism and psychological crisis vulnerability among chinese college students: the mediating roles of self-uncertainty and subjective social status

Introduction Ostracism is a prevalent interpersonal stressor among college students and has been consistently associated with adverse mental health outcomes. However, limited research has examined the psychological mechanisms through which ostracism increases vulnerability to psychological crisis. Drawing on the need–threat model, uncertainty–identity theory, and social comparison perspectives, the present study aimed to establish a formal multiple mediation model to clarify how ostracism contributes to psychological crisis vulnerability among Chinese college students. Methods A total of 758 Chinese college students were recruited from four comprehensive universities located in economically diverse regions of China, including developed areas in Eastern China and less developed areas in Western China. Participants represented a wide range of majors, including STEM, humanities and social sciences, and arts-related programs. Self-report measures assessed ostracism, self-uncertainty, subjective social status, and psychological crisis vulnerability. Mediation analyses were conducted to test the independent and sequential mediating roles of self-uncertainty and subjective social status, with gender included as a covariate. Results The results showed that ostracism was positively associated with psychological crisis vulnerability. Both self-uncertainty and subjective social status independently mediated this association. In addition, a significant chain mediation effect was identified, such that ostracism was associated with higher self-uncertainty, which in turn predicted lower subjective social status and, consequently, greater psychological crisis vulnerability. Discussion By integrating interpersonal, cognitive, and social-status perspectives into a single multiple mediation framework, this study extends existing research on ostracism and mental health. The findings highlight self-uncertainty and subjective social status as key psychological mechanisms linking ostracism to psychological crisis vulnerability and suggest potential targets for prevention and intervention efforts aimed at reducing psychological crises among college students.