Exploring pathways to academic engagement: a SEM analysis of self-compassion, social support, and stress management among Chinese university students

This study investigated the relationships between self-compassion, social support, stress management, and academic engagement among Chinese university students using a cross-sectional design and structural equation modeling (SEM). A total of 389 students from various undergraduate programs at two universities in major Chinese cities participated in the study. The results revealed that self-compassion and social support had significant positive direct effects on academic engagement. Furthermore, self-compassion and social support also exerted significant indirect effects on academic engagement through stress management, highlighting the mediating role of stress management in this relationship. These findings suggest that interventions aimed at enhancing self-compassion and social support may be beneficial for promoting academic engagement among university students by fostering better stress management skills.