Network analysis of social support and anxiety symptoms among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic

Recent research suggests that focusing on specific symptoms, rather than general levels of impairment, may offer a more nuanced understanding of psychopathology. Given the unique social and psychological challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, this study aims to explore the relationships between the three dimensions of perceived social support family support, friend support, and other support—and individual anxiety symptoms among college students. The pandemic context provides an opportunity to examine how different forms of social support may influence specific anxiety symptoms in a time of heightened stress and restricted social interactions. We conducted a network analysis of anxiety symptoms and perceived social support in a sample of 4105 college students. The network structures and bridge effects between social support and anxiety symptoms were examined at two time points (T1 and T2). A network comparison test (NCT) was conducted to assess differences in the network structures and bridge centrality indices across the two time points. In this sample, perceived social support was significantly associated with anxiety symptoms. Bridge centrality analysis indicated that, across both networks, family support generally correlated with lower levels of certain anxiety symptoms, serving as a protective factor. In contrast, friend support showed a mixed pattern—positively associated with some symptoms (e.g., irritability) but negatively associated with others (e.g., uncontrollable worry). These findings suggest that different forms of social support may have distinct effects on specific anxiety symptoms. Network analysis revealed that family support consistently served as a key protective factor against anxiety symptoms, while the influence of friend and other support weakened over time. These findings highlight the dynamic nature of support systems and provide implications for tailored mental health interventions in college students during and after the pandemic.