Longitudinal trajectories of perceived stress during college transition: the protective roles of psychological resilience and social support

The transition to college triggers significant stress that adversely affects student outcomes. Perceived stress during this period critically influences psychological well-being and physical health. However, longitudinal stress trajectories and their underlying protective factors remain poorly understood. A four-wave longitudinal design tracked 2326 Chinese first-year college students (Mage= 18.16, SD = 0.57; 55.6% female) over two years. Validated measures assessed perceived stress, psychological resilience, social support, and adjustment outcomes. Distinct perceived stress trajectories were identified using latent class growth analysis. Predictors of trajectory membership were examined via multinomial logistic regression, adjusting for baseline covariates. Differences in distal outcomes across trajectories were tested using the Bolck-Croon-Hagenaars method, with baseline outcome levels statistically controlled. Latent class growth analysis revealed three stress trajectories: high-stable (60.19%), middle-decreasing-rebounding (29.58%), and low-decreasing-rebounding (10.23%). The latter predicted better adjustment and was associated with higher baseline resilience and social support. Crucially, a synergistic interaction showed that high resilience combined with high social support increased the odds of following this adaptive trajectory only among first-generation students. Findings reveal heterogeneous stress pathways and identify a conditional resource synergy that buffers stress primarily for first-generation students, highlighting the need for integrated interventions targeting both internal and external resources.