The Role of Friendship Quality in the Mental Well-Being of University Students During Thesis Completion

Vollständiger Abstract

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Friendship quality has received growing attention as a social factor associated with well-being; however, its relationship with mental well-being among university students during thesis completion remains insufficiently examined. This study investigated the relationship between friendship quality and mental well-being among final-year university students completing their undergraduate theses. A quantitative, non-experimental survey design was employed, involving 389 students selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using the McGill Friendship Questionnaire–Friend’s Functions and the Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale and analyzed using Spearman’s rank-order correlation. The results revealed a strong, positive, and statistically significant relationship between friendship quality and mental well-being (rₛ = .637, p < .001). Friendship quality was predominantly high among participants (90.23%), while 55.01% reported high mental well-being. These findings identify friendship as an important relational resource for students navigating the academic demands of thesis completion and extend understanding of the social factors associated with mental well-being during this critical academic period. Universities should therefore strengthen peer-support networks and provide collaborative academic spaces that enable students to remain socially connected while completing their theses. Future longitudinal research should examine this relationship over time and incorporate additional psychological and academic factors.