Exploring the Effects of Intimate Relationships on Depression and Anxiety in College Students

Abstract

With growing concerns about university students' mental health, intimate relationships—an essential part of their social lives—play a critical role in shaping emotional well-being. This paper systematically reviews empirical studies to explore the effects of intimate relationship quality on depression and anxiety among college students. Specifically, it examines the mechanisms through which attachment style, emotion regulation strategies, and social support influence psychological outcomes. Findings indicate that high-quality intimate relationships are associated with lower levels of depressive and anxious symptoms, whereas frequent conflict, emotional neglect, and insecure attachment significantly heighten psychological distress. Emotion regulation strategies, such as suppression and cognitive reappraisal, serve as key mediators: suppression tends to exacerbate symptoms, while reappraisal is linked to better emotional adjustment. Moreover, the emotional support exchanged within intimate relationships not only impacts individuals' own affective states but also exerts cross-partner effects, contributing to mutual emotional well-being or distress. The study underscores the dual nature of intimate relationships, which may serve as protective factors or sources of stress depending on their quality and interaction patterns. Insecurely attached individuals, particularly those with anxious attachment, are more vulnerable to anxiety and depression when emotional support is perceived as insufficient or inconsistent. This review advocates for the integration of relationship-based factors into mental health interventions for university students. It further recommends future research to adopt longitudinal designs and multi-source assessments to better clarify the causal relationships and cross-cultural variations in how intimacy influences psychological symptoms.