Psychological distress and negative life events among university students: mapping patterns of exposure and impact

There is an urgent need to understand explanatory factors of poor mental health before (pre-) and during (peri-) the COVID-19 pandemic in university students, especially those from underrepresented and minority groups. To examine potential differences and explanatory factors for psychological distress, clinical risk and impact of problems on academic outcomes pre- and peri-pandemic in university students. A repeated cross-sectional design was used with routine data between August 2018 and July 2022 at the registration stage from a student counselling and mental health service at a UK university. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to examine pre- and peri-pandemic differences in outcomes. Unadjusted and adjusted linear regression models were conducted to assess potential explanatory factors for poor outcomes. A total of 9517 university students had completed sociodemographic and outcome data and were included in analysis. Psychological distress and impact of problems on academic outcomes were not significantly different between pre- and peri-pandemic groups. Clinical risk was significantly higher in the pre-pandemic than peri-pandemic group. Potential explanatory factors for poorer outcomes included being younger, female or non-binary/genderqueer, sexual minority, from a minority ethnic group, having home fee status and having a disability registration. Poor student mental health profiles and related explanatory factors may not have changed drastically between pre- and peri-pandemic. Longitudinal methods and intersectional approaches should be used in future research. Further understanding of how universities and student mental health services can most efficiently and effectively support the mental health of university students is crucially warranted.

Mental health problems in university students were highlighted during the Covid-19 pandemic, showing the need to pay greater attention to psychological, emotional and social conditions. Since confinement and isolation, diseases and disorders have increased in school environments. Therefore, the objective of the paper is to analyze empirical evidence on mental health in students of higher education through a systematic review of scientific literature, which allows recognizing effects on training and academic performance. The methodology adapted to the study is qualitative cut, based on the systematic review of scientific literature, which consists of three phases, the first consisted of the exploration of 17,649 materials including scientific articles and degree theses; the second phase consisted of a more detailed exploration based on the implementation of filters such as keywords, reading abstracts and reading the full text; The third phase was the processing of materials that met with methodological quality and contribute to knowledge about mental health in university students, in an analysis matrix that allowed identifying categories of analysis, concepts, debates, among others. The systematic literature review identified lines of analysis, the first contributing to the debate on mental health in university students; the next consisted in identifying the most common sufferings in students that compromise their mental health; and third, the effects of mental health on training and academic performance of university students are presented. As a conclusion, it is identified that mental health in university students is an issue that became relevant in the pandemic by Covid-19 and that prevails as a problem that affects training and academic performance.

ObjectiveAlthough the prevalence of poor self-rated oral health and experience of negative life events among Indigenous adults is high, the contribution of modifiable risk factors is unknown. We aimed to estimate the contribution of modifiable risk factors in poor self-rated oral health among Indigenous Australian adults with high and low experience of negative life events using decomposition analysis.MethodsThe study utilised a cross-sectional design, with data from a large convenience study of Indigenous adults in South Australia. Participants were stratified based on a median split of negative life events in the last 12 months. The outcome was the proportion of fair/poor self-rated oral health (SROH). Independent variables included experience of racism, sex, age, geographic location, car ownership, and time since last dental visit.ResultsOf the 1011 participants, the proportion with fair poor self-rated oral health was 33.5% (95% CI 30.5 to 36.4) and the proportion who had experienced 3+ negative life events in the past 12 months was 47.3% (95% CI 43.7 to 50.9). More than half the contribution in fair/poor self-rated oral health among Indigenous adults with a higher magnitude of negative life events was from experience of racism (55.3%, p<0.001), followed by residential location (19.9%), sex (9.7%) and car ownership (9.8%).ConclusionsThe contributions of modifiable risk factors in poor self-rated oral health among Indigenous adults with different exposures to negative life events differed substantially. Targets to reduce racism will decrease oral health inequities for both groups, however Indigenous adults who have experienced substantial negative life events require additional focus on provision of culturally safe dental care.

The aim of this study was to assess the construct validity of the Adolescent Resilience Scale which measures the psychological features of resilient individuals. Research involving this scale, the Negative Life Events Scale, and the General Health Questionnaire was conducted with a group of 207 Japanese undergraduate students (104 men and 103 women; M age=20.2 yr., SD=.9). A cluster analysis for the Negative Life Events Scale and General Health Questionnaire yielded three clusters: (1) mentally healthy with little experience of Negative Life Events, (2) poorer mental health with many experiences of Negative Life Events, (3) mentally healthy despite many experiences of Negative Life Events. These three groups were defined as (1) Well Adjusted, (2) Vulnerable, and (3) Resilient, respectively. Mean differences in scores on the Adolescent Resilience Scale among the three groups were subjected to one-way analysis of variance. The mean scores of both the Well Adjusted and Resilient groups were higher than that of the Vulnerable group, and therefore support the construct validity of the Adolescent Resilience Scale.

Health related quality of life among both current and former injection drug users who are HIV-infected

Clinical reports indicate that men tend to engage in a range of externalising behaviours in response to negative emotional states. Such externalising behaviours have been theorised to reflect a male sub-type of depression that is inconsistent with current diagnostic criteria, resulting in impeded detection and treatment rates of depressed men. In addressing previous study design limitations, this article presents self-report longitudinal data for the multidimensional Male Depression Risk Scale (MDRS-22) against ratings of diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder as assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire-Depression Module (PHQ-9). Longitudinal psychometric properties of the MDRS-22 are reported and symptom trajectories described. A sample of 233 adults (males = 125; 54%) completed measures of externalising and prototypic depression symptoms at Time 1, and again at Time 2 (15 weeks later). Psychometric properties were examined and within-subjects analyses undertaken. The MDRS-22 demonstrated stable internal consistency and test-retest correlations equivalent to those observed for the PHQ-9. Both prototypic and externalising depression symptoms increased with experiences of recent negative life events. Marked gender differences were observed. Males experiencing ≥ 2 stressful negative life events reported significantly higher MDRS-22 scores at both Time 1 and Time 2 relative to comparable females. Findings contribute to the validity of the MDRS-22 as a measure of externalising depression symptoms. Results suggest that while both males and females experience externalising depression symptoms, these symptoms may be particularly elevated for men following experiences of negative life events. Findings suggest that externalising symptoms may be a special feature of depression for men. Given the problematic nature of such externalising symptoms (e.g. excessive substance use, aggression, risk-taking), their clinical assessment appears warranted.

The purpose of this article is to investigate the mental health status of Chinese university students, the influence of physical exercise on the mental health factors of Chinese university students, and the relationship mechanism between physical exercise and the mental health of Chinese university students, in order to provide a reference for promoting the mental health of Chinese university students. Methods: A stratified random sampling method was used to randomly select 1000 university students from a university in Henan Province, China using a questionnaire survey, and the valid sample data were 921 cases. The SPSS 26.0 software was used for correlation analysis of the collected sample data. Result: The assessment of physical exercise level of Chinese university students was based on the results rated by the Chinese National Student Physical Fitness Test Standard, in which 78 (8.46%) were excellent, 307 (33.29%) were good, 469 (50.88%) were passing, and 66 (7.37%) were failing. For the comparative analysis of the mental health, the excellent rate, good rate, and passing rate of physical test scores of male students were better than that of female students, whereas the scores of all the factors for symptom self-assessment scale (SCL-90) of female students were significantly higher than those of the male students, (P < 0.05). The comparative analysis between the mental health level of the students and the four types of sports performance, revealed that the scores of depression, anxiety, and terror in the SCL-90 with excellent, good, and passing physical fitness test were significantly lower than those with failing physical fitness test (P < 0.05). The correlation between physical exercise and the mental health of the students was analyzed and the scores of physical exercise (physical fitness test scores), depression, anxiety, and terror in the symptom self-assessment scale (SCL-90) were significant and negatively correlated (P < 0.05).

Factors Associated With College Students' Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic Krista M. Soria (bio) and Bonnie Horgos (bio) In December 2019, an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV-2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease (COVID-19), was first reported in China. By March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, forcing many higher education institutions to take measures to promote students' safety. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to upend the lives of students in higher education institutions. In particular, the pandemic has had deleterious effects on students' mental health, leading to increased prevalence of major depressive disorder (MDD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD; Healthy Minds Network & American College Health Association [HMN], 2020). Students' mental health has become a paramount concern to institutional leaders: over 90% of college presidents expressed concern about students' mental health during the pandemic (Lederman, 2020). As faculty, student affairs practitioners, administrators, and mental health providers brace for the impact of increasing numbers of students who experience mental health disorders in upcoming semesters, they may benefit from an enhanced understanding of the students who are likely to experience mental health disorders and of the roles that other stressors or supports can play in students' mental health. The unique context surrounding the pandemic may create conditions that alter previous research findings related to students' mental health; therefore, we designed this study to examine the associations between individual, interpersonal, institutional, health, and stress-related factors and undergraduates' risks for clinically significant MDD and GAD. MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS Even before the pandemic, the frequency of college students' mental health disorders was increasing at an alarming rate. Recent estimates indicate that 31% of students experienced GAD and 41% experienced MDD during the pandemic (HMN, 2020). College students are a particularly vulnerable group when it comes to their risk for mental health disorders, many of which first present themselves in late adolescence and early adulthood (Liu et al., 2020). Some of the variables associated with college students' mental health can be grouped into five broad categories: (a) individual characteristics (e.g., gender and sexual orientation), (b) interpersonal factors (e.g., sense of belonging), (c) institutional factors (e.g., perceptions of a supportive environment), (d) health and safety factors (e.g., nutrition and sleep), and, (e) stressors (e.g., financial and academic; Fink, 2014; [End Page 236] Oswalt & Wyatt, 2011). The unique conditions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic might exacerbate the effects of some of the aforementioned factors on students' MDD and GAD. While emerging studies on college students' mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic present useful information to practitioners, the majority of those studies are limited because of small sample sizes, single-institution samples, or a limited number of independent variables (Huckins et al., 2020; Liu et al., 2020). We examined a wide variety of factors associated with college students' rates of MDD and GAD with variables specific to students' experiences during the pandemic; our sample was drawn from 8 large, public research universities; and, our sample size allowed us to examine the effects among demographic groups typically excluded in studies because of their small numbers. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK We drew from Fink's (2014) integrated model of college students' mental health, which combines Astin's (1993) input–environment–outcome model, the VicHealth framework (Keheler & Armstrong, 2005), and Keyes's (2002) mental health continuum. Fink examined the effects of students' individual characteristics, interpersonal factors, and institutional factors on students' mental health. We extended Fink's framework by adding stressors that we theorized would impact students' mental health, including health and safety factors and financial and academic stressors. METHOD Instrument and Sample We used the Student Experience in the Research University (SERU) COVID-19 survey, developed by members of the SERU Consortium. Eight large, public research universities located in different regions of the US administered the census survey in June and July 2020. The response rates ranged from 13% to 30%, 90% of students answered all items in the survey; we excluded responses with missing data, and the final sample was N = 27,118. Detailed information about the sample is available in Table 1. Measures Our individual measures include...

Antonovsky’s original observations of mental health among women who had survived Nazi concentration camps became the start for the formulation of sense of coherence (SOC) and suggested that the experience of negative life events can be a risk-factor for, whilst SOC can be a protection-factor against, mental ill-health. In the present study, 1,012 women responded to a questionnaire at two points in time that measured mental ill-health, SOC and the experience of negative life events. The results showed that women who had recently experienced negative life events had higher levels of mental ill-health compared to women who had not recently experienced any negative life events. SOC was also found to have a main effect on mental ill-health but neither moderated nor mediated the relation between negative life events and mental ill-health. Suggestions for future research and practical implications are given.

Background School staffs' views on poor mental health in students is of interest when planning and evaluating mental health promotion in school. The aim of the present study was to explore school staff's views on poor mental health in students. Methods The study was carried out in a rural municipality in the northern part of Sweden in 2019-2020. The baseline data presented here was collected prior to a mental health promotion intervention (Youth Aware of Mental Health). Three focus group interviews were conducted with teachers/teacher assistants in grade 7-9 at three different schools, and one with the central student health team. One individual interview was carried out with a psychologist from the student health team. Thematic content analysis was used. Results Preliminary analysis resulted in three themes. In To discover and interpret poor mental health, the school staff discussed distribution, signs, and difficulties for school staff and students to detect and handle poor mental health. In The surrounding community, school staff reflected on the impact of students' contexts, including school, home, leisure activities, and social media, in the rural setting. Lastly, in What the school and students can do, school staff elaborated on conditions and possibilities to prevent and manage poor mental health in the local context. Conclusions School staff expressed that they and the students had difficulties interpreting and managing students' poor mental health. Students are surrounded by norms, and demands for responsibility, engagement and performance in different contexts. Inadequacies in the school organization put greater responsibility on the individual teacher. Key messages There are shortcomings in school staffs' as well as students’ knowledge of and management of poor mental health. In order to promote mental health among students, the rural school needs to create an organization that takes into account the conditions of sparsely populated areas.

ObjectiveTo explore how a stringent campus lockdown affects the physical activity (PA), sleep and mental health of Chinese university students living in student dormitories during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsData on PA, sleep and mental health were collected between 24 March and 4 April 2022 from 2084 university students (mean age = 22.4 years, 61.1% male students) via an online questionnaire distributed by the students’ advisers of each dormitory. The Chinese short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-C), Athens Insomnia Scale (CAIS) and General Health Questionnaire 12-item (GHQ-12) were applied. The Mann–Whitney test and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to evaluate the PA profile differences between genders, before and during the lockdown period and between students’ living environments. Chi-squared (χ2) or Fisher’s exact test was used to assess changes in health behaviors by gender and students’ living environment compared to before the lockdown. A mediation model was used to examine whether sleep disorder mediated the relationship between PA and mental health in different students’ living environments.ResultsParticipants reported a significant decrease in weekly total PA levels (63.9%). Mean daily sedentary time increased by 21.4% and daily lying time increased by 10.7% compared to before lockdown. Among the participants, 21.2% had experienced insomnia, and 39.0% reported having high mental distress. Female students reported 10% higher rates of sleep disorders than male students (p < 0.001), and also experienced a higher incidence of mental disorders (p < 0.001). Students living with three roommates had a larger decrease in frequencies and durations of participation in light PA than other students (p < 0.001). PA was negatively associated with sleep and mental health, and sleep disorder was a mediating factor between PA and mental health in the students living with two and three roommates.ConclusionThis study showed that strict lockdowns within university dormitories during the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative effect on the health of university students by changing their health behaviors, physical activity and sleep. Our findings indicate a need for strategies to promote an active lifestyle for students in space-limited dormitories in order to maintain health during a prolonged lockdown.

Introduction Sleep is one of the most essential biological cycles, which have complex pattern. Sleep disorders have adverse effect on social performance and mental health. Prevalence of sleep disorders is increasing specially in young adult. Some groups like University students have more sleep disorders. This study investigates relation between mental health and sleep quality in the students. Methods This case-control study was conducted on dormitory students of Kashan University of Medical Science from 2013 to 2014. Two hundred students were selected by randomized sampling that included 100 cases (50%) with sleep disorder and 100 cases without sleep disorder. Three questionnaires were used, include: demographic variables, Pittsburgh and GHQ questionnaires. Results The mean age of students with sleep disorder and without sleep disorder was 22.61 and 22.35, respectively, which have not significant difference. There was a significant relation between general mental health, physical symptoms, anxiety and depression scales with sleep quality ( P P value Conclusion Sleep quality have important role on different aspects of mental health. Attention to improve sleep quality of dormitory students is necessary for better mental health. Education about sleep hygiene have essential role to improve mental health for University students in dormitories.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has caused many problems for university students, there are several research gaps in the study of psychological well-being of Hong Kong university students. First, few studies have examined different ecological correlates of mental health in a single study. Second, few studies have used both psychological morbidity and positive well-being as indicators of mental health. Third, we know little about the relationships between university students’ perceived need satisfaction, difficulties, service utilization, and their mental health. Hence, we conducted a study (N = 1,020 university students) in the later stage of the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong. For mental health, we included measures of negative mental health (psychological morbidity) and positive mental health. We addressed several research questions in this study: (1) what is the mental health status of Hong Kong university students? (2) what is the relationship between COVID-19 stress and student mental health? (3) what are the intrapersonal correlates of student mental health? (4) are interpersonal factors related to student mental health? (5) are need satisfaction, difficulties encountered, and service utilization related to students’ mental health? (6) are there gender differences in the effects of correlates in different ecological systems? Analyses using structural equation modeling showed several observations. First, the prevalence of mental health symptoms among university students was alarming. Second, COVID-19 related socio-economic stress positively predicted psychological morbidity but negatively predicted well-being. Third, beliefs about adversity, resilience, and emotional competence predicted mental health. Fourth, family functioning was related to psychological morbidity negatively but connected with well-being positively. Fifth, while need satisfaction predicted psychological morbidity negatively, difficulties encountered showed the opposite direction. Besides, the perceived usefulness of university services positively predicted mental health. Finally, there were no gender differences in the effects of different predictors. The present findings enable public health researchers to formulate theoretical models on different ecological determinants of university students’ mental health under the pandemic. For public health practitioners, the study highlights the importance of reducing COVID-19 associated stress, strengthening internal and external developmental assets, and meeting the psychosocial needs of university students as strategies to promote their mental health under the pandemic.

Mental health is an essential component of total health at all stages of life. It affects a person’s personal and social life, including regulating their emotions and thoughts, coping with stress, engaging with people and making sensible decisions. In recent decades, mental health has been a prevalent health issue among students. Therefore, the purpose of this study is: (1) to identify the possible factors influencing student mental health in public universities, (2) to determine the most influential factor that affects mental health among public university students, and (3) to analyze relationship between identified factors with student mental health. This study employed a quantitative approach using survey questionnaires. A sample of 200 students from public universities in Malaysia returned and usable for data analysis. The data was analysed using Version 27 of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The results of this study found that the scores for the three factors indicated a tendency towards agreement on student mental health factors with academic pressure (Mean=3.20), financial distress (Mean=2.69), and social support (Mean=3.48). The findings of the study showed that academic pressure (r=.495, p p&lt;.001), financial distress (r=.348, p&lt;.001) and social support (r=−.235, p&lt;.001) had a significant relationship between student mental health. Furthermore, multiple linear regression analysis was employed to predict students’ mental health using the three independent variables. The findings revealed that the three factors accounted for 29.7% of the variance in predicting student mental health. Also, academic pressure found to be the most influential factor on mental health among public university students, followed by social support while financial distress had no relative influence. These findings suggest that educators and higher education institutions should establish standards to reduce excessive academic stress, such as offering flexible deadlines and a balanced workload distribution in order to improve student mental well-being.

The rate of depression among university students is increasing. University students experiencing negative life events are at risk of developing depression, which could further decrease their academic engagement. In addition, negative life events are often accompanied by sleep problems. This study used a cross-sectional design to explore the complex relationships among negative life events, sleep quality, and depression in university students, with a particular focus on whether sleep quality serves as a mediating factor in the association between negative life events and depression. Three self-report scales were completed by 828 participants recruited from three universities. The results revealed that negative life events and sleep quality had a significant effect on depression separately and that sleep quality played a mediating role in the relationship between negative life events and depression in university students. Our study contributes to a deeper understanding of the relationships among negative life events, sleep quality, and depression and has important implications for the prevention and intervention of depressive symptoms in university students. By acknowledging the role of negative life events, educators and counselors can be more proactive in identifying students who may be struggling and providing them with the necessary support. By understanding the mediating role of sleep quality, university students can more effectively recognize and manage their mental health needs and cultivate resilience strategies to handle stressors to reduce their risk of developing depressive symptoms.