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College students coping with COVID-19: stress-buffering effects of self-disclosure on social media and parental support

ABSTRACT The ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic is a salient cause for distress among college students. Studies have indicated that parental support, as well as self-disclosure on social media, can alleviate the negative impacts of stressful life disruptions on students’ perceived stress levels. Using survey data collected from a sample of 215 college students from a university in the Southwestern United States, this study examined the stress-buffering effects of self-disclosure on social media and students’ perceived support from their parents. The results show that 1) core self-disclosure on social media and 2) support from parent(s) both moderate the level of stress students are experiencing due to life disruptions caused by COVID-19. Therefore, we call for attention to social media’s role as an arena for mental health interventions and the importance of parental support for college students in a crisis.