{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,21]],"date-time":"2026-08-21T04:26:58Z","timestamp":1787286418932,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":57,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,21]],"date-time":"2026-08-21T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787270400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Psychol."],"abstract":"<jats:p>\n                    Educational support is usually regarded as a protective resource for vulnerable students, particularly those learning under social, economic, or psychological disadvantage. Yet support may become psychologically costly when it is experienced as overprotective, intrusive, or competence undermining. Drawing on self-determination theory, social support theory, and resilience research, this study develops the support burden model, which proposes that educational support may become burdensome when it protects students in ways that reduce autonomy, threaten competence, and limit opportunities for adaptive coping. Using a two-wave prospective survey structure with a six-week interval, the study examined vulnerable university students at baseline and follow-up (T1\u202f\n                    <jats:italic>N<\/jats:italic>\n                    \u202f=\u202f626; T2\n                    <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\n                    \u202f=\u202f490; retention\u202f=\u202f78.3%). Baseline-adjusted path models tested whether T1 overprotective educational support was prospectively associated with later autonomy frustration, competence threat, psychological resilience, psychological distress, and learning adjustment. Results indicated that overprotective educational support was positively associated with T2 autonomy frustration and competence threat. These two need-frustrating experiences were, in turn, associated with lower T2 resilience after baseline resilience and general educational support were controlled. Resilience was associated with lower psychological distress and higher learning adjustment. Indirect-effect estimates supported the proposed pathway from overprotective support to poorer adjustment through autonomy frustration, competence threat, and resilience. The exploratory interaction involving baseline self-efficacy was in the expected direction but did not reach conventional significance. Because the overprotective educational support scale is newly developed and the design is observational, the findings should be interpreted as short-term longitudinal associations rather than definitive causal evidence. The findings suggest that educational support should be empowering rather than substitutive, preserving student agency while providing accessible resources.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1926769","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,21]],"date-time":"2026-08-21T04:22:40Z","timestamp":1787286160000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["When support becomes a burden: overprotective educational support and resilience among vulnerable students"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Wenyi","family":"Duan","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Foreign Languages and Literature, Shandong University","place":["Jinan, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xueke","family":"Gao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Henan Mechanical and Electrical Vocational College","place":["Zhengzhou, Henan, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xu","family":"He","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Marxism, Inner Mongolia Medical University","place":["Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,21]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"598","DOI":"10.1177\/07435584231170040","article-title":"First-generation students' academic and psychosocial adjustment over the first year of college","volume":"40","author":"Azpeitia","year":"2025","journal-title":"J. Adolesc. Res."},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3","DOI":"10.3102\/0162373713500523","article-title":"The effects of student coaching: an evaluation of a randomized experiment in student advising","volume":"36","author":"Bettinger","year":"2014","journal-title":"Educ. Eval. Policy Anal."},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"105938","DOI":"10.1016\/j.actpsy.2025.105938","article-title":"Social capital, psychological resilience, and psychological distress in Chinese university students: a cross-sectional survey","volume":"261","author":"Cai","year":"2025","journal-title":"Acta Psychol."},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1463643","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2025.1463643","article-title":"Academic resilience and academic performance of university students: the mediating role of teacher support","volume":"16","author":"Cai","year":"2025","journal-title":"Front. Psychol."},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"310","DOI":"10.1037\/0033-2909.98.2.310","article-title":"Stress, social support, and the buffering hypothesis","volume":"98","author":"Cohen","year":"1985","journal-title":"Psychol. Bull."},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"133","DOI":"10.1007\/s10648-011-9184-5","article-title":"Adjustment to college as measured by the student adaptation to college questionnaire: a quantitative review","volume":"24","author":"Cred\u00e9","year":"2012","journal-title":"Educ. Psychol. Rev."},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"227","DOI":"10.1207\/S15327965PLI1104_01","article-title":"The what and why of goal pursuits: human needs and the self-determination of behavior","volume":"11","author":"Deci","year":"2000","journal-title":"Psychol. Inq."},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"930","DOI":"10.1002\/pam.22256","article-title":"Increasing community college completion rates among low-income students: evidence from a randomized controlled trial evaluation of a case-management intervention","volume":"39","author":"Evans","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Policy Anal. Manage."},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"6","DOI":"10.1007\/s44192-025-00338-8","article-title":"Moderated mediation model of subjective happiness and gender between financial strain and mental health of university students","volume":"6","author":"Fagbenro","year":"2025","journal-title":"Discov. Ment. Health"},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"100893","DOI":"10.1016\/j.iheduc.2022.100893","article-title":"Identifying university students' online academic help-seeking patterns and their role in internet self-efficacy","volume":"56","author":"Fan","year":"2023","journal-title":"Internet High. Educ."},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"131","DOI":"10.1007\/s10804-024-09483-w","article-title":"Helicopter parenting and Chinese university students' adjustment: the mediation of autonomy and moderation of the sense of entitlement","volume":"32","author":"Gao","year":"2025","journal-title":"J. Adult Dev."},{"key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"749","DOI":"10.1080\/28367138.2023.2298647","article-title":"Navigating a path forward for mental health services in higher education","volume":"38","author":"Gorman","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. Coll. Stud. Ment. Health"},{"key":"ref13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.2139\/ssrn.2904752","article-title":"Helicopter professors","volume":"52","author":"Grant","year":"2017","journal-title":"Gonzaga Law Rev."},{"key":"ref14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"165","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1750-8606.2009.00099.x","article-title":"Issues and challenges in studying parental control: toward a new conceptualization","volume":"3","author":"Grolnick","year":"2009","journal-title":"Child Dev. Perspect."},{"key":"ref15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"68","DOI":"10.1080\/26906015.2024.2350059","article-title":"Familial factors impacting first-generation college students' adjustment: the compensatory role of older siblings with college experience","volume":"5","author":"Hagler","year":"2025","journal-title":"J. First-Gener. Stud. Success"},{"key":"ref16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"115","DOI":"10.1007\/s11747-014-0403-8","article-title":"A new criterion for assessing discriminant validity in variance-based structural equation modeling","volume":"43","author":"Henseler","year":"2015","journal-title":"J. Acad. Mark. Sci."},{"key":"ref17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"447","DOI":"10.1007\/s11126-025-10186-y","article-title":"Online social support and life satisfaction: chain mediation of resilience and psychological distress in university students with Facebook addiction risk","volume":"97","author":"Ho","year":"2025","journal-title":"Psychiatry Q."},{"key":"ref18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1300","DOI":"10.1177\/1745691620966789","article-title":"Student motivation and associated outcomes: a meta-analysis from self-determination theory","volume":"16","author":"Howard","year":"2021","journal-title":"Perspect. Psychol. Sci."},{"key":"ref19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"871","DOI":"10.3390\/bs13100871","article-title":"Socioeconomic status and students' mental health during the COVID-19 university closure: mediating roles of perceived social support and self-efficacy","volume":"13","author":"Huang","year":"2023","journal-title":"Behavioral Sciences"},{"key":"ref20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"731","DOI":"10.1177\/21676968211000498","article-title":"Helicopter parenting versus autonomy supportive parenting? A latent class analysis of parenting among emerging adults and their psychological and relational well-being","volume":"10","author":"Hwang","year":"2022","journal-title":"Emerg. Adulthood"},{"key":"ref21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"644","DOI":"10.1037\/a0014241","article-title":"Can self-determination theory explain what underlies the productive, satisfying learning experiences of collectivistically oriented Korean students?","volume":"101","author":"Jang","year":"2009","journal-title":"J. Educ. Psychol."},{"key":"ref22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"377","DOI":"10.1080\/01443410.2024.2354694","article-title":"Distinct roles of autonomy satisfaction and frustration in predicting adolescent students' academic motivation and achievement","volume":"44","author":"Jiang","year":"2024","journal-title":"Educ. Psychol."},{"key":"ref23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"23","DOI":"10.1111\/josi.12202","article-title":"The experience of low-SES students in higher education: psychological barriers to success and interventions to reduce social-class inequality","volume":"73","author":"Jury","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Soc. Issues"},{"key":"ref24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.5204\/ssj.3719","article-title":"Opening up higher education: understanding and improving student engagement","volume":"15","author":"Kahu","year":"2024","journal-title":"Student Success"},{"key":"ref25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"165","DOI":"10.1007\/s40299-024-00844-3","article-title":"Chinese students' conception of psychological need support and need frustration: a qualitative analysis from self-determination theory perspective","volume":"34","author":"Kaur","year":"2025","journal-title":"Asia Pac. Educ. Res."},{"key":"ref26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"959","DOI":"10.1017\/S0033291702006074","article-title":"Short screening scales to monitor population prevalences and trends in non-specific psychological distress","volume":"32","author":"Kessler","year":"2002","journal-title":"Psychol. Med."},{"key":"ref27","volume-title":"Principles and Practice of Structural Equation Modeling","author":"Kline","year":"2016"},{"key":"ref28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1320","DOI":"10.1080\/07448481.2023.2253919","article-title":"Financial strain and the health and well-being of college students during the COVID-19 pandemic","volume":"73","author":"Lawley","year":"2025","journal-title":"J. Am. Coll. Heal."},{"key":"ref29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"543","DOI":"10.1111\/1467-8624.00164","article-title":"The construct of resilience: a critical evaluation and guidelines for future work","volume":"71","author":"Luthar","year":"2000","journal-title":"Child Dev."},{"key":"ref30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/rev3.3339","article-title":"Learning how to learn: implementing self-regulated learning evidence into practice in higher education","volume":"10","author":"MacMahon","year":"2022","journal-title":"Rev. Educ."},{"key":"ref31","volume-title":"Ordinary magic: Resilience in Development","author":"Masten","year":"2014"},{"key":"ref32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"260","DOI":"10.3390\/youth4010018","article-title":"Hovering is not helping: relationships among helicopter parenting, attachment, academic outcomes, and mental health in college students","volume":"4","author":"Miller","year":"2024","journal-title":"Youth"},{"key":"ref33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1188507","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2023.1188507","article-title":"Enhancing Chinese students' academic engagement: the effect of teacher support and teacher-student rapport","volume":"14","author":"Pan","year":"2023","journal-title":"Front. Psychol."},{"key":"ref34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"205","DOI":"10.1080\/26906015.2024.2338517","article-title":"The relationship between college interventions and first-generation college students' academic success at a large urban tier I institution","volume":"4","author":"Phipps","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. First-Gen. Stud. Success"},{"key":"ref35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"879","DOI":"10.1037\/0021-9010.88.5.879","article-title":"Common method biases in behavioral research: a critical review of the literature and recommended remedies","volume":"88","author":"Podsakoff","year":"2003","journal-title":"J. Appl. Psychol."},{"key":"ref36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"159","DOI":"10.1080\/00461520903028990","article-title":"Why teachers adopt a controlling motivating style toward students and how they can become more autonomy supportive","volume":"44","author":"Reeve","year":"2009","journal-title":"Educ. Psychol."},{"key":"ref37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"54","DOI":"10.1080\/00461520.2020.1862657","article-title":"Autonomy-supportive teaching: its malleability, benefits, and potential to improve educational practice","volume":"56","author":"Reeve","year":"2021","journal-title":"Educ. Psychol."},{"key":"ref38","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"768","DOI":"10.1080\/28367138.2024.2373952","article-title":"What's going on around here? Applying a developmental perspective to the mental health crisis in higher education","volume":"38","author":"Rosenbaum","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. Coll. Stud. Ment. Health"},{"key":"ref39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1521\/978.14625\/28806","volume-title":"Self-Determination Theory: Basic Psychological Needs in Motivation, Development, and Wellness","author":"Ryan","year":"2017"},{"key":"ref40","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"101832","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cedpsych.2019.101832","article-title":"Motivation and social cognitive theory","volume":"60","author":"Schunk","year":"2020","journal-title":"Contemp. Educ. Psychol."},{"key":"ref41","volume-title":"Helplessness: On Depression, Development, and Death","author":"Seligman","year":"1975"},{"key":"ref42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"372","DOI":"10.1177\/02654075231186443","article-title":"Helicopter parenting and first-semester students' adjustment to college: a self-determination theory perspective","volume":"41","author":"Shin","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. Soc. Pers. Relat."},{"key":"ref43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-319-41740-0","volume-title":"The Development of Coping: Stress, Neurophysiology, Social Relationships, and Resilience during Childhood and Adolescence","author":"Skinner","year":"2016"},{"key":"ref44","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"194","DOI":"10.1080\/10705500802222972","article-title":"The brief resilience scale: assessing the ability to bounce back","volume":"15","author":"Smith","year":"2008","journal-title":"Int. J. Behav. Med."},{"key":"ref45","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"74","DOI":"10.1016\/j.dr.2009.11.001","article-title":"A theoretical upgrade of the concept of parental psychological control: proposing new insights on the basis of self-determination theory","volume":"30","author":"Soenens","year":"2010","journal-title":"Dev. Rev."},{"key":"ref46","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1178","DOI":"10.1037\/a0027143","article-title":"Unseen disadvantage: how American universities' focus on independence undermines the academic performance of first-generation college students","volume":"102","author":"Stephens","year":"2012","journal-title":"J. Pers. Soc. Psychol."},{"key":"ref47","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"6939","DOI":"10.1007\/s12144-023-04860-2","article-title":"Understanding preservice teachers' intentions to enact autonomy support: the combined perspectives from self-determination theory and mindset theory","volume":"43","author":"Tan","year":"2024","journal-title":"Curr. Psychol."},{"key":"ref48","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"401","DOI":"10.1080\/01443410.2022.2033168","article-title":"Perceived teacher support, student engagement, and academic achievement: a meta-analysis","volume":"42","author":"Tao","year":"2022","journal-title":"Educ. Psychol."},{"key":"ref49","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.7208\/chicago\/9780226804545.001.0001","volume-title":"Completing College: Rethinking Institutional Action","author":"Tinto","year":"2012"},{"key":"ref50","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"19906","DOI":"10.1007\/s12144-024-05812-0","article-title":"Nuanced associations among fatalism, socioeconomic status, and mental health among undergraduate students","volume":"43","author":"Toyama","year":"2024","journal-title":"Curr. Psychol."},{"key":"ref51","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"7281","DOI":"10.3390\/su13137281","article-title":"Self-regulated learning and technology-enhanced learning environments in higher education: a scoping review","volume":"13","author":"Urbina","year":"2021","journal-title":"Sustainability"},{"key":"ref52","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.17583\/remie.13449","article-title":"Determinants of academic help-seeking willingness among Chilean university students: a structural model analysis","volume":"15","author":"Valenzuela","year":"2025","journal-title":"Multidiscip. J. Educ. Res."},{"key":"ref53","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"263","DOI":"10.1037\/a0032359","article-title":"On psychological growth and vulnerability: basic psychological need satisfaction and need frustration as a unifying principle","volume":"23","author":"Vansteenkiste","year":"2013","journal-title":"J. Psychother. Integr."},{"key":"ref54","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1007\/s11031-019-09818-1","article-title":"Basic psychological need theory: advancements, critical themes, and future directions","volume":"44","author":"Vansteenkiste","year":"2020","journal-title":"Motiv. Emot."},{"key":"ref55","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"801","DOI":"10.1080\/28367138.2024.2400589","article-title":"Systems change, mental health, and the coming paradigm shift in higher education","volume":"38","author":"Walden","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. Coll. Student Ment. Health"},{"key":"ref56","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"211","DOI":"10.4324\/9781315773384","volume-title":"Handbook of Motivation at School","author":"Wentzel","year":"2016"},{"key":"ref57","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.33824\/pjpr.2025.40.1.01","article-title":"Stress appraisal, resilience, and psychological distress in college and university students","volume":"40","author":"Yasmeen","year":"2025","journal-title":"Pak. J. Psychol. Res."}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Psychology"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1926769\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,21]],"date-time":"2026-08-21T04:22:42Z","timestamp":1787286162000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1926769\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,21]]},"references-count":57,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1926769"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1926769","relation":{},"ISSN":["1664-1078"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1664-1078","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,21]]},"article-number":"1926769"}}