Work demands and mental health: the mediating effects of resilience and sense of belonging among college students

Objective: This study investigates the relationship between work demands and mental health among college students and the mediating effects of resilience and sense of belonging. Participants: Data was collected from 3,082 undergraduate students at a mid-sized public University in the Northeast on work demands, resilience, sense of belonging, and number of poor mental health days. Methods: Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the data for students who reported at least one job (n = 2,083). Results: Higher work demands were positively associated with more poor mental health days. Resilience significantly and negatively mediated this relationship. In multiple-group SEM analyses, students working one job (vs multiple jobs) and those working a higher number of work hours (vs lower) exhibited a stronger negative indirect effect through the resilience mediating factor. Conclusions: Findings highlight the crucial role of resilience in managing work-related stress and suggest areas for further research to enhance student well-being.