ObjectiveThis study aimed to examine the associations among self-compassion, mental health status, negative academic emotions, and psychological help-seeking delay among college students, with particular attention to the indirect associations involving mental health status and negative academic emotions.MethodsA convenience sampling method was used to survey 753 college students. Data were collected using the Self-Compassion Scale, General Health Questionnaire, Negative Academic Emotions Scale, and Psychological Help-Seeking Delay Scale. Structural equation modeling was conducted to examine the proposed pattern of associations among the study variables, and indirect associations were evaluated using bootstrapping procedures.ResultsSignificant correlations were found among the key variables (ps < 0.001). Analyses of indirect associations revealed significant indirect associations involving mental health problems and negative academic emotions in the association between self-compassion and psychological help-seeking delay. The total effect between self-compassion and psychological help-seeking delay was significant (β = -0.46, 95% CI [-0.527, -0.391]). Specifically, significant indirect associations were observed involving mental health problems (β = -0.09, 95% CI [-0.185, -0.022]) and negative academic emotions (β = -0.13, 95% CI [-0.240, -0.056]). Furthermore, a significant sequential indirect association involving mental health problems and negative academic emotions was identified (β = -0.10, 95% CI [-0.189, -0.054]).ConclusionSelf-compassion was directly associated with psychological help-seeking delay among college students and was also indirectly associated with help-seeking delay through mental health problems and negative academic emotions, both independently and sequentially. Given the cross-sectional design, these findings should be interpreted as associational rather than causal, and longitudinal studies are needed to confirm the proposed directional relationships among these variables.