Intimate Fear among College Students: Concepts, Measurements, Consequences, and Antecedent Variables

Abstract

Background: Intimate relationships have a significant impact on college students, and the fear of intimacy seriously hinders the establishment and development of intimate relationships.

Objective: The objective of the study is to understand the research progress on the fear of intimacy among college students and provide reference suggestions for developing corresponding intervention measures.

Methods: A literature search was used to search for Chinese or English literature in CNKI, Google Scholar, and PubMed using the keyword "college students+ fear of intimacy".

Results: Thirty-three papers were included. The fear of intimacy is an important predictor variable for the mental health of college students, negatively predicting their interpersonal relationship quality and subjective well-being, and positively predicting depression and anxiety. The development of fear of intimacy is constrained by various factors such as individual demographics, early experiences, current romantic experiences, and psychological quality.

Conclusion: Previous studies have provided useful reference opinions for understanding the mechanisms of intimate relationship-related issues among college students and providing effective interventions, with good theoretical and practical value. However, research methods need to be improved.