Grit, Subjective Happiness, Satisfaction With Life, and Academic Resilience Among Pharmacy and Physical Therapy Students at Two Universities

Abstract

ObjectiveThe primary objective of this study was to compare grit, subjective happiness, satisfaction with life, and academic resilience among pharmacy and occupational therapy/physical therapy (OT/PT) students at 2 distinct universities using the short grit scale, subjective happiness scale (SHS), satisfaction with life scale (SWLS), and the academic resilience scale (ARS-30). MethodsIn January 2019, investigators administered an online survey to students at 2 universities using a cross-sectional, voluntary, anonymous survey design using grit scale, SHS, SWLS, and ARS-30. Descriptive statistics, t tests, a 2-way analysis of variance, Pearson correlation, and regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between these scores. ResultsThere were 227 respondents who consented to participate in the study and completed all 4 surveys. The overall response rate for pharmacy students was 44% and 43% for OT/PT students, with most pharmacy and OT/PT students in the 19–25-year range. Grit scores did not differ between pharmacy students and OT/PT students, while SHS scores were significantly higher in OT/PT students. Subjective happiness was higher in the private university, with young, female students at the private university reporting higher SHS scores. Although the grit score was not correlated with SWLS, SHS, or ARS-30 scores, the SWLS was correlated with SHS. The SHS was a strong predictor of academic resilience in both OT/PT and pharmacy students. ConclusionSubjective happiness and satisfaction with life were found to be strong predictors of academic resilience among pharmacy students. Colleges of pharmacy may consider administering the SHS and/or SWLS at baseline and annually to measure well-being.