The Influence of Father’s presence on College Students' Mental Health: The Role of Religiosity as a Mediator and Moderator

Authors

  • Erna Multahada Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Mercu Buana, Jakarta 11610
    Indonesia     https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3758-9130
  • Wina Fitriyah Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Mercu Buana, Jakarta 11610
    Indonesia
  • Nanang Ruhyat Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty Engineering, Universitas Mercu Buana, Jakarta 11610
    Indonesia     https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3816-660X
  • Nunung Khoiriyah Department of Social Welfare, Faculty of Da'wah and Communication, Universitas Islam Negeri Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, 15412 Banten
    Indonesia     https://orcid.org/0009-0009-0687-8598
  • Setia Asyanti Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta, 57169 Sukoharjo
    Indonesia     https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1966-3459

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.23917/indigenous.v11i2.16050

Keywords:

Father’s presence, religiosity, mental health, mediation, moderation

Abstract

This study aims to examine the effect of Father’s presence on college students' mental health by considering the role of religiosity as a mediating and moderating variable. Increased mental health problems in college students are often associated with academic pressure, emotional instability, and weakened family support, especially from father figures. Religiosity is viewed as a protective factor that can strengthen students' psychological resilience. A total of 330 college students aged 18–24 (M = 20, SD = 1,207) participated in this study through accidental sampling. The instruments used included the Mental Health Continuum–Short Form (MHC–SF), the Centrality of Religiosity Scale (CRS), and the Father’s presence Questionnaire (FPQ). Researchers used regression analysis and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to test the mediating and moderating roles using Jamovi software. The results showed that Father’s presence and religiosity significantly improved college students' mental health (R = 0.922; R² = 85%; p < .001). In the mediation model, Father’s presence increased religiosity (β = 0.53; p < .001) and directly improved mental health (β = 0.80; p < .001). Religiosity also positively contributed to mental health (β = 0.20; p < .001) and partially mediated the relationship (indi-rect effect β = 0.10; p < .001). Moderation analysis showed that religiosity strengthened the effect of Father’s presence on mental health (β interaction = 0.00136; p = 0.027). The strongest effect of Father’s presence was seen in students with high levels of religiosity (β = 0.418). These findings confirm that Father’s presence and religiosity are important factors for student mental health.

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Submitted

03-02-2026

Accepted

09-07-2026

Published

29-07-2026

How to Cite

Multahada, E., Fitriyah, W., Ruhyat, N., Khoiriyah, N., & Asyanti, S. (2026). The Influence of Father’s presence on College Students’ Mental Health: The Role of Religiosity as a Mediator and Moderator. Indigenous: Jurnal Ilmiah Psikologi, 11(2), 167–180. https://doi.org/10.23917/indigenous.v11i2.16050

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Vol. 11 No. 2 (2026): July

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