Longitudinal Trajectories of Perceived Stress During College Transition Among First-Generation Students: The Protective Roles of Psychological Resilience and Social Support

The transition to college is a critical period for first-generation college students (FGCS), during which their perceived stress significantly influences developmental outcomes, including psychological well-being and physical health. However, this longitudinal study was conducted across four waves (October 2023, March 2024, October 2024, March 2025) to investigate these patterns in a sample of Chinese university students ( M _age = 18.16, SD  = 0.87; 52.5% male; 66.55% FGCS). We identified three distinct stress trajectories using latent class growth analysis: a low-rapidly declining-rebounding trajectory (10.23%), a moderate-gradual declining-stabilizing trajectory (29.58%), and a high-stable trajectory (60.19%). Students in the low-rebounding trajectory reported the most favorable outcomes (lowest anxiety and depression, highest life satisfaction and physical health), whereas those in the high-stable trajectory reported the poorest outcomes. Beyond the significant main effects of psychological resilience and social support, a significant interaction was observed. Specifically, FGCS with concurrently high levels of both resilience and social support were more likely to belong to the low-rebounding trajectory than the high-stable class. These findings underscore the dynamic nature of perceived stress and the synergistic role of protective factors in fostering positive adaptation among FGCS, offering valuable insights for developing individualized interventions.