Journal of Research and Health

en Path Analysis of the Mediating Role of Life Skills in the Relationship between Family Support and Hope among University Students ● Service Quality مقاله اصيل پژوهشي Orginal Article <div style="text-align: justify;">Background: Hope is an important psychological resource associated with students’ academic adaptation and emotional well-being during the transition to university. Although previous studies have demonstrated associations between social support and hope, the underlying mechanisms explaining this relationship remain insufficiently explored, particularly in Turkish university students. In particular, limited research has examined whether life skills function as a mediating factor linking perceived family support to hope during early university adjustment. Methods: This cross-sectional study employed structural equation modeling (SEM) with path analysis to examine associations among perceived family social support, life skills, and hope among university students. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 22 for descriptive statistics and AMOS software for structural equation modeling.A total of 409 undergraduate students were selected using stratified random sampling to ensure proportional representation across faculties. Results: Family social support demonstrated a significant positive association with hope (β = 0.51, p < 0.001) as well as a significant indirect association through life skills (standardized indirect effect β = 0.09, 95% bootstrap CI [0.05, 0.24]). The structural model explained 32% of the variance in life skills and 41% of the variance in hope.  The proposed model demonstrated acceptable fit (RMSEA = 0.054, CFI = 0.99, χ²/df = 1.61). Life skills showed a significant mediating role in the association between family support and hope. However, causal interpretations should be made cautiously because of the cross-sectional design. Conclusion: Perceived family support and life skills were positively associated with hope among university students. Life skills may partially explain the relationship between family support and hope; however, longitudinal studies are needed to clarify causal and developmental relationships.        </div> Dispositional hope, Perceived family social support, Life skills, Mediation analysis, Structural equation modeling, University students 7 7 http://jrh.gmu.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-821-10&slc_lang=en&sid=1 fatemeh darabi fatemedarabi43@yahoo.com 3257518854 100319475328460048413 Yes Department of Public Health, Asadabad School of Medical Sciences, Asadabad, Iran sevil Momeni Shabani s.shabani@iku.edu.tr 3257518856 100319475328460048414 No Psychological Counseling and Leadership Group, Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Education, Istanbul Kültür University, Istanbul, Turkey