The Role of Roommate Relationships Between Psychological Resilience and Chinese Freshmen’s Depressive and Anxious Symptoms: A Three-Wave Longitudinal Study

The transition to university life increases the susceptibility of freshmen to depression and social anxiety, especially facing new challenges of establishing new interpersonal relationships. Psychological resilience serves as a critical protective factor against these mental health challenges. Using three-wave data from 785 Chinese freshmen (52.1% female; Mage = 18.46), this longitudinal study revealed a relational pathway unique to female college freshmen: Psychological resilience contributed to female freshmen’s roommate relationship quality, which further alleviated their depressive and anxious symptoms. In contrast, no significant direct or indirect pathways were observed among male freshmen. These findings underscore the dormitory microsystem as a crucial context for female students’ emotional adaptation and suggest the need for gender-tailored interventions, such as resilience-building programs for female students and alternative support mechanisms for men.