Perceived Social Support, Meaning in Life, and Psychological Well‐Being Among First‐Generation College Students

Using a cross‐sectional design, the authors examined the relationship between first‐generation college students’ (FGCSs) perceived social support and psychological well‐being, considering the mediating role of their meaning in life. Participants ( N = 356) were recruited from a randomly selected sample of FGCSs at a 4‐year public university in the western United States and completed an online survey. Structural equation modeling with bias‐corrected bootstrapping was conducted to test the hypothesized model. Meaning in life partially mediated the relationship between perceived social support and psychological well‐being (indirect effect β = 0.28, 95% CI [0.22, 0.37]). Implications for college counselors and counseling researchers to enhance FGCSs’ psychological well‐being are provided.