A longitudinal study of perceived employability and psychological health among Chinese college students

Abstract

The decline in psychological well-being among students in higher education has been increasingly documented. Despite growing recognition of perceived employability as consequential for employees’ well-being in the labor market, less is known regarding its specific association with psychological health among college students approaching the school-to-work transition. This study examined the association between perceived employability and psychological distress among Chinese college students and further explored the variation of this association by gender and family economic condition. Data were from three consecutive waves of the Panel Survey of Chinese University Students (PSCUS, 2020–2022), tracking 2552 students from their first to their third year. Fixed-effects models were employed to account for unobserved time-invariant characteristics. Interaction models were used to investigate how gender and family economic condition would shape the relationship between perceived employability and psychological distress. Results showed that higher perceived employability was significantly associated with lower psychological distress. Interaction models further indicated that the association was primarily driven by female and economically disadvantaged students. These findings highlight the need for policymakers to develop career-related programs that enhance students’ perceived employability as a vital means of promoting the psychological well‑being of college students, with particular attention to vulnerable socioeconomic and gender groups.