College music students during COVID-19: Examining the moderating effect of access to resources and stability of living on the relationship between perceived social support and mental health

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between perceived social support (PSS) and general mental health in collegiate music students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, perception of access to academic resources and stability of living was analyzed as a moderator in the relationship between PSS and general mental health. Participants completed a survey that included the Mental Health Inventory-5 (MHI-5), the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), and questions adapted from the “access to necessary resources” and “stability of living” section of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) COVID Survey. In the final sample, PSS explained a statistically significant amount of the variance in general mental health. Moderation analysis was conducted using PSS as the predictor variable, mental health as the criterion variable, and access to resources and stability of living as a composite variable as the moderator. The interaction between PSS and the composite variable was statistically significant. Access to resources and stability of living proved a positive moderator between PSS and general mental health. PSS positively predicted general mental health in collegiate music students during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, access to resources and stability of living (composite variable) were positive moderators, with a higher perception of both creating a stronger positive relationship between PSS and general mental health.