Mental Health Of College Students Research Articles

Exploring the Impact of Social Media on the Mental Health of University Students

The number of students using sites for interaction with one another has significantly increased. The massive use of social media among university students is an alarming situation that is causing harm to mental health. This research aims to find out that social media addiction causes some major factors that damage students' irregular sleeping patterns, attitudes, and behaviors. Social media users make and share content for a brief period of time, adding content that enables them to project the perfect image that has a significant impact on their mental health and life satisfaction. The findings show a strong connection between social media use and sleeping patterns and a considerable correlation between mental health and sleep patterns. Additionally, 36.3% of them reported going to bed between 12 am and 1 am respectively. Hence, 29.8% of them claimed their use of social networking sites as the reason for their later bedtime.

Classification of nomophobia among Chinese college students: Evidence from latent profile and ROC analysis.

Nomophobia (NMP) is a contemporary digital ailment referring to the improper utilization of smartphones which can have significant impacts on the physical and mental health of college students. However, as a result of unclear cutoff points, the proportion of people with NMP may be exaggerated. This study therefore aimed to determine the critical value of NMP and assess the extentto which Chinese college students are impacted by NMP using the Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q). Latent profile analysis (LPA) and the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) were combined to determine the critical value based on NMP-Q scores using a large sample of 3,998 college students (Mage = 20.58; SD = 1.87). Based on latent profile (i.e., at-risk NMP group), ROC revealed an optimal cut-off point of 73 (Sensitivity = 0.965, Specificity = 0.970, Accuracy = 0.968, AUC = 99.60%, Youden's index = 0.935), and the percentage of NMP students being 28.04%, with 1,121 participants identified as positive cases (probable cases). Positive cases were found to exhibit more severe depression and anxiety symptoms, with a higher proportion of females were observed in the positive group (N = 829; 73.95%). These findings provide evidence that the proportion of NMP individuals may have been overestimated in the past. Furthermore, this study helps to validate the NMP-Q as a valid tool to identify NMP in college-aged individuals.

Exploring the Complex Relationship between Social Network Addiction and Mental Health in College Students: A Study Based on Multi-layer Network Analysis

With the development of science and technology, various types of online social media have developed rapidly, attracting a large number of users, but excessive use of social network addiction phenomenon, affecting the life and mental health. For college students, social network addiction is not uncommon and affects their mental health, so it is very important to understand the relationship between social network addiction and mental health and to intervene, so this study aims to explore the relationship between social network addiction and mental health. In this study, 1141 college students completed the Social Networking Addiction Scale and the College Mental Health Scale through an online survey. Social network addiction and mental health were then included as nodes and network analysis was performed using R software. It was found that, in the node network graph, there was a link between the well-being experience dimension of mental health and the mood change dimension of social network addiction, and there was a link between the courage to challenge dimension of mental health and the online social interaction preference dimension of social network addiction. In the total sample and the male sample, "I feel that my life is boring" in the mental health scale is the node with the highest intensity, while "I can't concentrate on my study" in the mental health scale has the highest node intensity in the female sample. From the above results, it is concluded that there is a relationship between some dimensions of social network addiction and some dimensions of mental health among college students. Individuals' boredom affects their mental health and social network addiction, and in the case of female college students, their commitment to study also affects their mental health and social network addiction.

Students’ Engagement in Extra-Curricular Physical Activities, Physical Fitness, And Mental Health

With the development of society and economic progress, there is an increasing concern about the physical and mental health of university students. Guangxi, as an important province in southwestern China, has attracted widespread attention to its sports development. However, with the rapid development of the social economy, the physical and mental health issues of university students have become increasingly prominent. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the physical fitness, types of sports participation, and mental health status of sports major students in Guangxi, exploring the relationships among them, and providing theoretical and practical basis for promoting the physical and mental health of university students in Guangxi.

Childhood trauma, psychache, and depression among university students: a moderated mediation model.

Childhood trauma is a potential threat to depression and can have a lifelong impact on the mental health of university students. Our study aimed to construct a moderated mediation model to explore the relationship between childhood trauma, psychache, ambivalence over emotional expression, physical activity, and depression in university students. A cross-sectional study was conducted in three universities in China, recruiting 476 university students using self-report questionnaires. The moderated mediation model was examined using the SPSS PROCESS model 21. Ambivalence over emotional expression (F=12.843), childhood trauma (F=117.639), and psychache (F=581.594) all had a significant positive effect on depression (p<0.001), explaining 2.9%, 21.7%, and 56.8% of the variance, respectively. On the chain of influence between childhood trauma and depression, the mediating effect of psychache, the moderating effect of ambivalence over emotional expression, and the moderating effect of physical activity are all significant the overall indirect effect value of the three is 0.287, accounting for 61.59% of the total effect. This study investigated the relationship between childhood trauma, ambivalence over emotional expression, psychache, physical activity, and depression in university students. Future interventions should focus on developing good emotional expression among university students, increasing opportunities for physical activity, and reducing psychache to reduce depression.

The Effect of Basketball Activity on Developing the Mental Health of University Students in Shenzhen

The Effect of Basketball Activity on Developing the Mental Health of University Students in Shenzhen

Discrepancies in prevalence estimates of suicidal ideation and attempts in 18- to 22-year-old US college students: a comparison of three surveys.

Suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STB) have been increasing among US college students. Accurate measurement of STB is key to understanding trends and guiding suicide prevention efforts. We aimed to compare the prevalence estimates of STB among college students from two campus-based surveys (the National College Health Assessment [NCHA] and the Healthy Minds Study [HMS]) and one general population study (the National Survey on Drug Use and Health [NSDUH]). Estimates were generated from the three surveys for past year suicidal ideation (PYSI) and past year suicide attempts (PYSA) among 18- to 22-year-old full-time college students. Data were combined from each survey to develop bivariate and multivariate regression models for odds of PYSI and PYSA. Estimates for PYSI varied between the three surveys: 34.3% for NCHA, 15.0% for HMS, and 10.7% for NSDUH. Estimates for PYSA were 2.6% for NCHA, 1.6% for HMS, and 1.7% for NSDUH. After adjusting for demographic and educational characteristics, odds of PYSI remained significantly lower for HMS participants (aOR 0.31, 95% CI 0.29-0.33) and NSDUH participants (aOR 0.19, 95% CI 0.19-0.30) compared to NCHA participants. The odds of PYSA for HMS participants were lower than those for NCHA participants (aOR 0.63, 95% CI 0.54-0.73). Estimates of PYSI and PYSA vary between leading sources of data on college student mental health. The differences are likely related to question wording, survey implementation, as well as institutional and individual representation. Accounting for these differences when interpreting estimates of STB can help guide suicide prevention efforts.

The relationship between the psychological resilience and post-traumatic growth of college students during the COVID-19 pandemic: a model of conditioned processes mediated by negative emotions and moderated by deliberate rumination

BackgroundThe mental health of university students during the COVID-19 pandemic has attracted the attention of researchers. For the present study researchers constructed a mediation model to explore the relationship between psychological resilience and post-traumatic growth, the mediating role of negative emotions and the moderating role of deliberate rumination in students.MethodsThe Psychological Resilience Scale, Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale (DASS-21) and Event Related Rumination Inventory were used in a survey of 881 college students. The data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0 and the PROCESS plugin (version 3.3).Results(1) Psychological resilience is positively related with post-traumatic growth. Deliberate rumination is positively related to psychological resilience, posttraumatic growth, and negative emotions. Psychological resilience, post-traumatic growth and negative emotions are negatively related. (2) Negative emotions mediated the relationship between psychological resilience and post-traumatic growth. (3) Deliberate rumination plays a moderating role in psychological resilience affecting negative emotions. Deliberate rumination plays a moderating role in the extent to which psychological resilience influences PTG through negative emotions.ConclusionsPsychological resilience affects post-traumatic growth directly and also indirectly through negative emotions. With the increase of mental resilience, the level of negative emotion tended to decrease. When individuals are experiencing negative emotions, high levels of active rumination are more likely to promote post-traumatic growth. This study helps to explore the factors affecting the mental health of college students during the epidemic, thus providing guidance for appropriate mental health interventions.

Psychological Flexibility Profiles and Mental Health Among University Students with Left-Behind Experience: A Latent Profile Analysis.

The left-behind experience as an adverse childhood experience has a negative impact on the mental health of university students. Psychological inflexibility mediated the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and mental disorders, but no similar findings were drawn in psychological flexibility (PF). More research is needed to understand the relationship between PF and mental health of university students with left-behind experience. To investigate the relationship between PF profiles and mental health and sleep quality of university students with left-behind experience based on latent profile analysis. A sample of 1988 Chinese university students with left-behind experience were recruited to complete an online survey. Participants provided demographic information and completed validated measures of PF and mental health. Latent profile analysis was used to identify patterns of PF, and logistic regression analysis was used to examine the relationships among these variables. We found four PF profiles among participants, with the largest number being the moderately flexible profile (n = 808, 40.6%). The level of PF was positively correlated with mental health and sleep quality (all P < 0.001). Females, being left behind at a young age and for a long time, and having little contact with parents were associated with low PF (all P < 0.05). Our study highlights the importance of focusing on the PF of university students with left-behind experience and left-behind children, and the need for interventions to improve their PF and thus their mental health.

Evaluating Dysfunctional Attitudes Among Third-Year BS Psychology Students: Towards the Development of an Enhancement Program

Objective: This study investigates the prevalence and implications of dysfunctional attitudes among third-year Bachelor of Science in Psychology students at a higher education institution in Davao del Norte, Philippines. Theoretical framework: Dysfunctional attitudes, theorized to contribute to mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, are pivotal in understanding the emotional and psychological well-being of individuals during the critical transition from late adolescence to early adulthood. Utilizing the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS), this research aimed to assess dysfunctional attitudes across seven domains: approval, love, achievement, perfectionism, entitlement, omnipotence, and autonomy. Methods: Using purposive sampling, a quantitative research methodology, specifically a descriptive survey design, was employed to collect data from 105 third-year psychology students. The findings indicate a moderate presence of dysfunctional attitudes in the domains of approval, love, achievement, and perfectionism, suggesting a degree of psychological resilience among the participants. However, entitlement, omnipotence, and autonomy revealed more concerning attitudes, underscoring the need for targeted intervention programs. Results and conclusion: The study concludes that while the majority of students possess healthy attitudes towards approval, love, achievement, and perfectionism, there is a significant need for interventions addressing entitlement, omnipotence, and autonomy to prevent potential mental health issues. This research contributes to the body of knowledge on the mental health of college students. It underscores the importance of early identification and intervention of dysfunctional attitudes as a preventative measure against psychological distress.

Yoga as a therapeutic approach to mental health in university students: a randomized controlled trial.

The purpose of this study has been to analyze the efficacy of a yoga-based intervention on stress, emotional wellbeing, state anxiety and trait anxiety in university students. This study was a randomized controlled trial. The sample consisted of 129 university students, of which 65 underwent a yoga training for 12 weeks and a control group that did not carry out any type of intervention. The primary outcome was stress, which was collected through The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). The secondary outcomes were emotional wellbeing which was measured through the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS), and anxiety through State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). All variables were measured before and after the intervention. Participants in the experimental group showed statistically significant improvements in the primary outcome perceived stress (Cohen's d = 0.44) and the secondary outcomes emotional wellbeing (Cohen's d = 0.47), and both state anxiety (Cohen's d = 0.38) and trait anxiety (Cohen's d = 0.80) compared to the control group that did not carry out any type of physical training. This study demonstrated that a 12-week yoga intervention can significantly reduce perceived stress and anxiety, and improve emotional wellbeing in university students. Initially, the experimental group (EG) reported higher levels of stress and anxiety than the control group (CG), but after the intervention, the EG experienced significant improvements compared to the CG.

Prevalence of subthreshold depression and its related factors in Chinese college students: A cross-sectional study

ObjectiveTo investigate the prevalence of subthreshold depression among Chinese college students and to explore the related factors. MethodsThe research subjects were Chinese college students participating in the “2022 Psychology and Behavior Investigation of Chinese Residents (PBICR-2022)". Data on respondents' general characteristics, quality of life, perceived pressure, family communication, perceived social support, self-efficacy, and depression status were gathered. To investigate the association between each variable and the risk of subthreshold depression, statistical analyses, including chi-square tests and rank sum tests were conducted. Furthermore, a binary stepwise logistic regression was employed to establish the regression model of the factors related to subthreshold depression among Chinese college students. ResultsA prevalence of subthreshold depression of about 39.7 % was found among the 8934 respondents. Logistic regression analysis revealed that respondents who are female, have chronic diseases, are in debt, experience significant impacts from epidemic control policies, have lower self-assessed quality of life, experience challenges in family communication, perceive lower social support, have lower self-efficacy, and feel higher perceived pressure are more likely to develop subthreshold depression compared to the control group. (P < 0.05). ConclusionThe prevalence rate of subthreshold depression among Chinese college students was found to be approximately 40 %. Female college students suffering from chronic diseases, with households in debt, greatly impacted by epidemic control policies, and experiencing high perceived stress, may be at risk for subthreshold depression among Chinese college students. On the other hand, strong family communication, perceived social support, and self-efficacy were identified as potential protective factors. In order to facilitate timely screening, diagnosis, and treatment of subthreshold depression in Chinese college students, it is crucial for the government, local communities, colleges, and families to prioritize the mental health of college students and implement targeted measures accordingly.

Study on the Influence of Home-school Cooperation on the Mental Health of College Students in China and its Mechanism

The purpose of this study is to explore the influence of home-school cooperation on the mental health of college students in China and its mechanism. By collecting a large number of sample data and using descriptive statistics, factor analysis and regression analysis, this paper makes an in-depth analysis of the relationship between home-school cooperation and college students' mental health. The results show that home-school cooperation has a significant positive impact on college students' mental health, among which the frequency of home-school communication, the diversity of home-school cooperation forms and the depth of home-school cooperation have a positive impact on college students' mental health. Further analysis shows that home-school cooperation can not only understand and solve students' psychological problems in time, but also promote students' psychological healthy growth by providing rich growth environment and personalized psychological support. Based on the above findings, this study puts forward some policy suggestions, such as strengthening home-school communication, enriching the forms of home-school cooperation, deepening the content of home-school cooperation and improving the policy support system, in order to provide more powerful protection for the mental health of college students in China. These research results not only help to enrich and develop the theoretical system in the field of home-school cooperation and college students' mental health, but also provide an important reference for educational practice and policy formulation.

Psychological health status of Chinese university students: based on Psychological Resilience Dynamic System Model

IntroductionThe mental health of unverisity students is influenced by diverse factorsis multifaceted, requiring further investigation to evaluate its current status and determinants. The present study aims to address this gap by targeting Chinese university students and employing the Psychological Resilience Dynamic System model. Through a questionnaire survey, this research endeavors to explore the mental health status and influencing factors. Ultimately, the findings of this study aim to provide a theoretical basis and tailored practical guidance for the development of mental health intervention strategies for university students.MethodsBased on the Psychological Resilience Dynamic System Model, the mental health status of 3,390 Chinese university students from 15 universities was empirically investigated with the principle of stratified sampling and the geographical distribution and disciplinary diversity of universities. The questionnaires used included Kessler psychological distress scale, psychological resilience scale,positive psychological capital scale, family hardiness index and social support scale. Among the participants, 47.85% were male and 52.15% were female. Regarding the origin, 42.89% of the students were from rural areas, while 57.11% were from urban areas.ResultsKey findings unveil: (1) A prevalence of 24.54% in students has suboptimal mental health, with 18.70 and 5.84%, respectively, representing those with poor and relatively poor mental health conditions; (2) A noteworthy negative correlation (p &amp;lt; 0.01) between mental health scores of university students and nine pivotal factors, including psychological resilience, self-efficacy, optimism, hope, resilience, family resilience, objective support, subjective support, and support utilization; (3) Eight factors, including grade, family economic status, psychological resilience, self-efficacy, optimism, family resilience, objective support, and support utilization, emerge as significant predictors of university students’ mental health (p &amp;lt;0.001), collectively elucidating 57.9% of the total variance in mental health.DiscussionThe aforementioned research results, indicate that the influencing factors on the mental health of university students encompass four main aspects. These include individual demographic factors such as grade and family economic status, positive psychological capital factors such as psychological resilience, self-efficacy, optimism, hope, and resilience, family resilience factors including responsibility, control, and challenge, and societal support factors including objective support, subjective support, and support utilization. Based on this, this paper focuses on four recommendations: giving full play to the leading role of universities in mental health education and stress intervention, strengthening the educational power of positive family ideals and role modeling, building a support system for positive social atmosphere and psychological counseling, and improving the self-shaping ability of university students’ psychological resilience and positive psychological capital. These recommendations aspire to better promote the mental health of university students and provide a strength reserve for psychological problem intervention.

Assessment of the impact of COVID-19 and political instability on mental health of university students in Sudan.

The mental health of students plays a crucial role in their learning and performance. The COVID-19 pandemic, the political turmoil and a coup in Sudan has exacerbated stress and anxiety among university students in Sudan due to uncertainty about their academic activities. To assess post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) occurrence and coping strategies adopted by university students in Sudan. This cross-sectional survey was conducted from March to June 2022. It used the Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (Brief-COPE) and Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) questionnaires to assess the occurrence of PTSD and coping strategies among 596 university students in Sudan. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the frequency and percentage, Student's t test was used to compare the means of 2 groups and one-way analysis of variance to compare the means of ≥ 3 groups. There was a high prevalence of PTSD among the students, with a score of 31.2 (SD 16.4). The total score of PTSD was higher among female students. Around 36% of the students had a PTSD score > 37, which is considered high enough to suppress immune function. The most widely adopted coping strategies were religion and acceptance of the situation, while substance use was the least. Students who had COVID-19 infection during the pandemic differed significantly from uninfected students in the application of coping strategies. In contrast, students whose family members or friends had COVID-19 were not significantly different from students with uninfected family members or friends in the application of the coping strategies, such as self-blame, denial, substance use, and behavioural disengagement. We recommend the initiation and implementation of psychological counselling programmes for university students in Sudan onsite or remotely. Further research should be carried out to assess the long-term effects of the pandemic and the political conflicts so as to design and implement appropriate and efficient interventions.

Exploring the effects of COVID-19-related traumatic events on the mental health of university students in Brazil: A cross-sectional investigation

University students are vulnerable to mental health issues during their academic lives. During the COVID-19 pandemic, university students faced mental distress due to lockdowns and the transition to e-learning. However, it is not known whether these students were also affected specifically by COVID-19-related traumatic events. This study examined the impact of COVID-19-related traumatic events on 2277 university students from two federal institutions of higher education in Brazil. The university students completed an online questionnaire covering demographics, lifestyle habits, health characteristics, COVID-19-related traumatic events, and depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms. The results showed that an increased intensity of COVID-19-related traumatic events was positively associated with stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms, and each specific type of event was associated with these symptoms. In addition, we found a negative association between these symptoms and male sex and age and a positive association with having or having had a history of cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, or mental disorders or another disease diagnosed by a physician. In conclusion, this study emphasizes the heightened risk of mental health issues in university students in the face of COVID-19-related traumatic events. Women, young people and people who have or have had a history of disease were the most vulnerable to mental health issues during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Latent profile analysis of Eysenck's personality dimensions and psychological constructs in university students.

The exploration of personality traits in relation to psychological constructs has become increasingly relevant in understanding the mental health of university students (the emerging adulthood). Studies have focused on how dimensions intersect with various psychological parameters. The study aims to identify distinct personality profiles among university students based on Eysenck's personality dimensions and investigate how these profiles differ across psychological constructs. A quantitative methodology was utilized, involving 708 university students from Wenzhou and Nanjing in China as participants. The research employed the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire along with other psychological measures. Latent Profile Analysis was applied to categorize the participants into distinct personality profiles. Four distinct personality profiles emerged: 'The Reserved Analyst,' 'The Social Diplomat,' 'The Unconventional Pragmatist,' and 'The Impulsive Truth-Teller.' Significant differences were found among these profiles on various psychological constructs. 'The Social Diplomat' exhibited the most adaptive psychological profile, with higher cognitive reappraisal (F = 45.818, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.163), meaning in life (F = 17.764, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.070), and positive coping (F = 40.765, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.148) compared to other profiles. Conversely, 'The Reserved Analyst' showed higher intolerance of uncertainty (F = 13.854, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.056) and state anxiety (F = 26.279, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.101). This study enriches the understanding of personality traits in relation to psychological constructs within the context of university student populations. By identifying distinct personality profiles, it lays the groundwork for developing tailored mental health strategies that cater to the specific needs of different student groups.

The Effect of University Students’ Academic Self-Efficacy on Academic Burnout: The Chain Mediating Role of Intrinsic Motivation and Learning Engagement

Academic burnout seriously affects the academic performance and mental health of college students. This study developed a multi-mediation model to investigate the relationship between academic self-efficacy and academic burnout. A total of 1431 undergraduate students (51.85% female) were recruited to participate in this study. And we used SPSS PROCESS developed by Hayes to examine the mediating role of academic self-efficacy and academic burnout. The results indicated that academic self-efficacy can negatively predict academic burnout. Moreover, intrinsic motivation and learning engagement have a significant mediating effect between academic self-efficacy and academic burnout. Finally, we constructed a model comprising four variables and found that it explained 47.62% of the variance in academic burnout. These findings can be conducive to a suitable intervention path to reduce academic burnout of Chinese college students, so as to develop effective instructional strategies to improve their learning performance.

College Student Preferences for Campus Mental Health Services and Practices

ABSTRACT The decline in college student mental health has been articulated by counseling center directors and administrators in higher education and has been thoroughly documented by research. Counseling centers have responded with diverse functions and services to holistically address the emotional and behavioral health needs of students. Beyond clinical services, counseling centers have developed services involving comprehensive prevention/outreach, case management, consultation, and collaboration. The question remains: how do students view the importance of such services and functions? The present study addresses this question as follow-up to past research and data that have illuminated the comprehensive nature of campus counseling center services. Findings in this study indicate that students who used campus counseling services, as well as students-in-general, agreed with the importance of the full range of comprehensive counseling center services. Specific responses to service preferences were also investigated (e.g. 24–7 Helpline, counseling services should be free to students).

Student mental health during Summer 2022 research experiences for undergraduates (REUs): Mentorship, remote engagement, and COVID-19

Objective: We examined how mentorship, remote participation, and COVID-19 challenges were associated with the mental health of college students participating in summer research programs. Participants: Participants were students participating in 78 National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experiences for Undergraduate (REU) Sites during Summer 2022 (n = 516 students). Methods: We used multivariable generalized estimating equations that account for clustering by REU Site. Results: Students with more competent mentors had reduced depression severity. Students who spent ≥25% of their time doing remote research or ≥25% of their time in remote meetings and workshops had greater depression severity. Remote research was also associated with anxiety severity. Having a COVID-19 challenge that impacted students’ research experience was associated with increases in depression and anxiety severity. Conclusions: Results suggest potential interventions: implement strategies to boost mentor competency and scaffold a support system into summer research programs to enhance student wellbeing. Additional research on remote engagement is needed.