Levels Of Happiness Research Articles

Anxious to Perform: Compositional Effects of Negative Task-Related Emotions in Teams

We investigated how team composition, in terms of members’ emotions about the team tasks ahead, predicts performance on these team tasks. In 45 student teams, a higher average level of anxiety and happiness, but not anger, about the team assignments predicted higher team grades 6 weeks later. We explored potential mediating team processes. These findings contribute to the literature on team affect, which has so far struggled to identify benefits of negative affect in teams: task-related anxiety is linked to better performance of real-world teams. This highlights the importance of studying compositional effects of individual affective states in teams.

Happiness Maximization Is a WEIRD Way of Living.

Psychological science tends to treat subjective well-being and happiness synonymously. We start from the assumption that subjective well-being is more than being happy to ask the fundamental question: What is the ideal level of happiness? From a cross-cultural perspective, we propose that the idealization of attaining maximum levels of happiness may be especially characteristic of Western, educated, industrial, rich, and democratic (WEIRD) societies but less so for others. Searching for an explanation for why "happiness maximization" might have emerged in these societies, we turn to studies linking cultures to their eco-environmental habitat. We discuss the premise that WEIRD cultures emerged in an exceptionally benign ecological habitat (i.e., faced relatively light existential pressures compared with other regions). We review the influence of the Gulf Stream on the Northwestern European climate as a source of these comparatively benign geographical conditions. We propose that the ecological conditions in which WEIRD societies emerged afforded them a basis to endorse happiness as a value and to idealize attaining its maximum level. To provide a nomological network for happiness maximization, we also studied some of its potential side effects, namely alcohol and drug consumption and abuse and the prevalence of mania. To evaluate our hypothesis, we reanalyze data from two large-scale studies on ideal levels of personal life satisfaction-the most common operationalization of happiness in psychology-involving respondents from 61 countries. We conclude that societies whose members seek to maximize happiness tend to be characterized as WEIRD, and generalizing this across societies can prove problematic if adopted at the ideological and policy level.

The effect of mindfulness-based art therapy on psychological symptoms and happiness levels in patients with migraine: a pilot study

AbstractThe aim of this study was to examine the impact of the Mindfulness-Based Art Therapy Program on the depression, anxiety and stress symptoms, and happiness of participants. This study is a quasi-experimental research with a pretest-posttest design. The independent variable of the study was the Mindfulness-Based Art Therapy Program, which was applied to the study group between the pretest and posttest. The dependent variables of the study were the depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms and happiness of the individuals included in the study group. The study group consisted of a total of 10 participants (8 females and 2 males) between the ages of 24 and 46, who met the inclusion criteria. The Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale (DASS-21) and the Oxford Happiness Scale Short Form (OHS-SF) were applied to the participants both at the beginning of the study and at the end of 8 weeks. A total of 8 sessions of the Mindfulness-Based Art Therapy Program were applied to the study group. Each session lasted 180 min. The Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test was used to analyze the data obtained to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. The analyses showed that the Mindfulness-Based Art Therapy Program was effective in reducing the depression and stress symptoms of the participants and increasing their happiness but was not effective in reducing their anxiety symptoms. In conclusion, although positive clinical findings were observed in this pilot study, more studies are needed to confirm these findings about the Mindfulness-Based Art Therapy Program as an alternative treatment method for patients with migraine.

The role of coping strategies in subjective wellbeing indicators of non-profit workers

This study examines the relationship between coping styles, job satisfaction, and subjective wellbeing among non-profit (NPO) workers serving refugees. A sample of 228 paid and volunteer NPO workers based in Turkey was analysed, revealing generally high levels of job satisfaction and widespread utilisation of coping mechanisms. The most common coping strategies among NPO workers include social support, exercise, and prayer/spirituality. Interestingly, while no significant variations were found in happiness and life satisfaction scores based on coping strategies, there were significant differences in job satisfaction scores. Specifically, employing prayer/spirituality as a coping strategy is associated with higher levels of happiness, life satisfaction, and job satisfaction. These results suggest the potential benefits of incorporating prayer/spirituality into coping mechanisms within the NPO work. Conversely, workers who did not utilise any coping strategies reported the lowest levels of job satisfaction, highlighting the importance of employing coping strategies to enhance job satisfaction in NPO work.

The female happiness paradox

Using data across countries and over time, we show that women have worse mental health than men in negative affect equations, irrespective of the measure used — anxiety, depression, fearfulness, sadness, loneliness, anger — and they have more days with bad mental health and more restless sleep. Women are also less satisfied with many aspects of their lives, such as democracy, the economy, the state of education, and health services. They are also less satisfied in the moment in terms of peace and calm, cheerfulness, feeling active, vigorous, fresh, and rested. However, prior evidence on gender differences in happiness and life satisfaction is less clear cut. Differences vary over time, location, and with model specification and the inclusion of controls, especially marital status. We now find strong evidence that males have higher levels of both happiness and life satisfaction in recent years even before the onset of the pandemic. As in the past, women continue to have worse mental health. A detailed analysis of several data files, with various metrics, for the UK confirms that men now are happier than women and the size of the effect is not trivial.

Crowding-Out in Content Monetization Under Pay What You Want: Evidence From Live Streaming

Live streaming has emerged as an innovative means for content providers (broadcasters) to monetize their content in real time under pay-what-you-want pricing. In a typical live stream, consumers (viewers) watch the content and decide whether and how much to tip the broadcaster in the form of virtual gifts that have been purchased with real money. Unlike offline contexts where payment is often nontransparent, both payment activities and sender identities are transparent or publicly observable in live streams. Hence, understanding to what extent and how tipping influences broadcasters’ emotional reactions and peer viewers’ engagement activities becomes relevant and meaningful. In this study, we examine the social impact of viewer tipping activity by running a field experiment on a popular live-streaming platform in China. We deploy synthetic viewers to both treated and control streams. These synthetic viewers send random tip amounts at random times in only the treated and not the control streams, which then exogenously alters the tips that are observed by the audience. We find that broadcasters tend to provide an emotional and reciprocal reaction in response to additional viewer tips, which is measured by the broadcasters’ level of happiness as discerned from their facial expressions. Viewers tend to tip less, chat less, and leave the current stream sooner when seeing more tips from peers, suggesting a negative crowding-out effect on viewer engagement. Nevertheless, the crowding-out effect does not apply to the number of likes, which are displayed without viewer identities in a live stream. In addition, such crowding-out effects manifest mainly in those viewers who tipped heavily before the experiment, possibly because heavy tippers care more about social status than their counterparts. These results collectively suggest that the pursuit of social status is a plausible driver of the observed crowding-out effects.

Happiness and air quality: microdata analysis in Indonesia

BackgroundWhile economics is growing in Indonesia, its Happiness Index remains steady. Regarding the average concentration of dissolved particles, Indonesia is ranked sixth globally. Many factors can affect happiness. Environmental conditions, especially air quality, are considered to influence individual happiness. Therefore, this research investigates the impact of air quality and health on happiness.MethodsData used in this study is the microdata of Indonesia’s Happiness Survey (SPTK) in 2021. With more than 70,000 respondents, the study uses Ordered Probit as an analysis method with subjective happiness as the dependent variable. The independent variables used in this study are air quality, age, gender, housing area per capita, marital status, and health status. All independent variables except age are categorical. The variable of interest, air quality, is coded “1” if the IKU achieves the Strategic Plan’s target of 84.2 and “0” otherwise. IKU is a regional air quality index that combines two substances.ResultsAt a significance level of 5%, there is a positive relationship between subjective happiness and air quality. In other words, if air quality (IKU) meets the Strategic Plan target (≥ 84.2), then a person is more likely to have a higher level of happiness. It can be explained more with the marginal effect. The marginal effect concludes that if the target is achieved, the probability of having a lower level of happiness decreases by up to 2.8%, and a very high level of happiness rises by 5.1%. Regarding health status, the rarer someone gets sick, the happier she/he is.ConclusionThe study finds that air pollution could lower happiness, while better health increases happiness. Therefore, it is important to meet the target of IKU and to improve public health. Some good practices can be adopted to achieve this goal.

Exploring the relationship between physical literacy levels, engagement and emotionality in physical education classes

For the researchers, physical literacy (AFi) is the objective to be achieved in Physical Education, for seeking competent subjects, capable of adhering to physical activity throughout their lives, with continuous personal, social, affective, and physical development. Quantitative, descriptive-correlational research was carried out, with a non-experimental design and a non-probabilistic sample of 322 subjects, students from 12 to 18 years old from private, public, and subsidized schools in Talca, Chile. The aim was to relate the level of AFi, engagement and perceived emotionality. Data were collected by the Perceived Physical Literacy Instrument (PPLI), Behavioral Engagement Questionnaire (BEQ) and Scale for Mood Assessment (EVEA). A positive relationship was identified with a higher level of physical literacy, higher levels of happiness (r=0.37) and emotional engagement (r=0.54), decreasing the indexes of hostility (r=-0.25) and the private establishments reach the highest levels of anxiety (X̅=3.2). It is concluded that the higher the level of AFi, the greater the commitment and the greater the regulation of emotional factors.

EFFECT OF SELF-ESTEEM ON LIFE SATISFACTION AMONG ADOLESCENTS

This study aims to investigate two things based on the empirical data mentioned above: (1) how self-esteem and life satisfaction are related (2) the effects of gender on self-esteem as well life satisfaction. This review paper indicates that our emotional health, relationships, well-being, and ability to make decisions are all impacted by our sense of self-esteem. Adolescents who are confident in their skills and abilities may feel more satisfied with their lives generally, which could lead to higher self-esteem. Similarly, persons who tend to underestimate their own skills may have lower levels of positive self-esteem in response to reduced life satisfaction. Adolescents with high life satisfaction scores also exhibit better levels of social, emotional, and academic self-efficacy than those with low life satisfaction. Reduced levels of happiness and life satisfaction might result from poor self-esteem. Life satisfaction and self-esteem help adolescents to control, regulate, or reduce psychological distress and increase their subjective happiness, which in turn contributes to their overall mental well-being. Whether these two variables are high in boys or girls, the conclusion is that gender has an impact on self-esteem and life satisfaction. Increased life satisfaction is predicted by self-esteem and academic achievement in both boys and girls Gender influences the expression and growth of self-esteem. KEYWORDS: Self-Esteem, Life satisfaction, Adolescents

A pilot study of measuring emotional response and perception of LLM-generated questionnaire and human-generated questionnaires

The advent of ChatGPT has sparked a heated debate surrounding natural language processing technology and AI-powered chatbots, leading to extensive research and applications across various disciplines. This pilot study aims to investigate the impact of ChatGPT on users' experiences by administering two distinct questionnaires, one generated by humans and the other by ChatGPT, along with an Emotion Detecting Model. A total of 14 participants (7 female and 7 male) aged between 18 and 35 years were recruited, resulting in the collection of 8672 ChatGPT-associated data points and 8797 human-associated data points. Data analysis was conducted using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The results indicate that the utilization of ChatGPT enhances participants' happiness levels and reduces their sadness levels. While no significant gender influences were observed, variations were found about specific emotions. It is important to note that the limited sample size, narrow age range, and potential cultural impacts restrict the generalizability of the findings to a broader population. Future research directions should explore the impact of incorporating additional language models or chatbots on user emotions, particularly among specific age groups such as older individuals and teenagers. As one of the pioneering works evaluating the human perception of ChatGPT text and communication, it is noteworthy that ChatGPT received positive evaluations and demonstrated effectiveness in generating extensive questionnaires.

Understanding Community Capacity for Bottom-up Management of Mount Hakusan UNESCO Biosphere Reserve

The aim of the study was to understand the potential of Shiramine villagers for bottom-up administration of Mount Hakusan UNESCO Biosphere Reserve (MHBR). We investigated the various aspects of community capability using data from numerous sources, including interviews, surveys, and published reports. 23 people participated in a survey. Results has showed that the issues such as depopulation (35%), accessibility problems (especially for the elderly), difficulties with tourism, and the effects of school and municipal mergers were the biggest concern for the locals. However, the biggest values of Shiramine was rated as interpersonal interactions (56%), followed by the environment and traditional culture. Most of the residents expressed the high level of happiness by living inside the community (87%), which was related to the strong community bonds and natural surroundings.
 The survey showed the presence of a variety of jobs, such as farmers, students, freelancers, housewives, and people working in administrative and governmental positions. These results showed a wide range of community involvement and the possibility of utilizing this diversity to boost the bottom-up management strategy. For the effective and sustainable management of BR, developing inclusivity and active participation, by using variety of talents and knowledge will play crucial role.
 Keywords: Community development, UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Bottom-Up approach, Regional management, Sustainability

Reactions to macro-level shocks and re-examination of adaptation theory using Big Data.

Since 2020, the world has faced two unprecedented shocks: lockdowns (regulation) and the invasion of Ukraine (war). Although we realise the health and economic effects of these shocks, more research is needed on the effect on happiness and whether the type of shock plays a role. Therefore, in this paper, we determine whether these macro-level shocks affected happiness, how these effects differ, and how long it takes for happiness to adapt to previous levels. The latter will allow us to test whether adaptation theory holds at the macro level. We use a unique dataset of ten countries spanning the Northern and Southern hemispheres derived from tweets extracted in real-time per country. Applying Natural Language Processing, we obtain these tweets' underlying sentiment scores, after which we calculate a happiness score (Gross National Happiness) and derive daily time series data. Our Twitter dataset is combined with Oxford's COVID-19 Government Response Tracker data. Considering the results of the Difference-in-Differences and event studies jointly, we are confident that the shocks led to lower happiness levels, both with the lockdown and the invasion shock. We find that the effect size is significant and that the lockdown shock had a bigger effect than the invasion. Considering both types of shocks, the adaptation to previous happiness levels occurred within two to three weeks. Following our findings of similar behaviour in happiness to both types of shocks, the question of whether other types of shocks will have similar effects is posited. Regardless of the length of the adaptation period, understanding the effects of macro-level shocks on happiness is essential for policymakers, as happiness has a spillover effect on other variables such as production, safety and trust.

Examining the Effect of Contactless Intergenerational Befriending Intervention on Social Isolation Among Older Adults and Students' Attitude Toward Companionship: Content Analysis.

Intergenerational friendship, a mechanism of social support, is an effective intervention to reduce the increasing risk of social isolation (SI) and develop companionship in the older adult population. The COVID-19 pandemic provided a unique opportunity to examine the psychosocial intervention of befriending via technology use as a primary form of contactless socialization. The study aims to explore the effectiveness of the befriending intervention through a contactless, intergenerational service-learning project on older adult emotions, especially boredom and loneliness as the key attributes of SI, and on students' attitude toward companionship. During the months of January to April 2022 , undergraduate students enrolled in a health administration course with a special focus on culture were asked to be involved in a contactless, intergenerational service-learning project (n=46). In this study, contactless intervention meant communication using the telephone and apps such as FaceTime and Zoom. Students were paired with older adults to have at least a 30-minute weekly conversation, for 8 weeks, via telephone or an internet-based app such as FaceTime. Students were asked to write a half-page diary after each interaction and a 1-page reflection at the end of the fourth week and at the end of the service-learning project. At the completion of the project, the researchers also surveyed the older adults to assess the impact of the project using a 5-item open-ended questionnaire. Following a heuristic approach and content analysis, student artifacts (110,970 words; 118-page, single-spaced Microsoft Word document) and the older adult surveys were analyzed using MAXQDA, (VERBI GmbH). Qualitative data were extracted to assess the impact of service learning on SI by measuring the attributes of boredom and loneliness among 46 older adults. Students' attitudes toward companionship were also assessed using data from their diaries and reflections. Overall, three major constructs were identified: (1) meaningful engagement, defined as feeling safe, having increased confidence, and having reduced boredom; (2) internal motivation to participate in the weekly interaction, defined as discussion about daily life experience, level of happiness, and ability to exert personal control over the situation; and (3) intergenerational befriending, defined as perceived benefits from the friendly nature of the interaction, ability to comfortably connect with students, and positive feeling and attitude toward the student. The contactless, intergenerational befriending intervention reduced boredom and loneliness among older adults and enhanced positive attitude and confidence among university students. Students helped older adults to develop digital skills for the use of apps and social media. Older adults showed interest in the intervention and shared their daily life experiences with the students, which helped to reduce the gap between generations. Findings indicate the effectiveness of an intergenerational service-learning intervention on SI reduction and increased positive attitude among college students.

Investigating the Relationship between Happiness and Environmental Attitude among Adults in Yazd City

Background: Happiness, as one of the most important psychological needs of humans, may have an impact on the environmental behavior of people due to its major effects on the formation of human personality. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between happiness and environmental attitudes in adults of Yazd City in 2019.
 Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 230 people over 18 years of age in Yazd, and the sampling method in this study is simple random classification sampling and descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation), as well as Pearson correlation coefficient statistics and the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, and Variance was used.
 Results: The results of this study showed that there is a significant relationship between the level of happiness and the type of attitude of people, the type of attitude and residential area, the level of happiness and education of the people of Yazd city regarding the relationship between happiness and environmental attitude (p value ≤ 0.001). Finally, the variable of education and residential area affects the attitude toward the environment, and the results showed that these variables have a significant relationship.
 Conclusion: The most important conclusion of this research is the huge impact of the residential area on happiness and environmental parameters, which shows the influence of humans on the residential environment. This study showed that happiness is related to the environment.

Investigating the Effectiveness of Mindfulness Education on the Happiness of Women with Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) Using Social Media: An Educational Study

Aim:: Numerous studies have investigated the effectiveness of mindfulness meditation education on the improvement of physical and mental conditions in women. However, there is limited information about the effects of mindfulness counseling on happiness. Background:: Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) causes not only physical problems in women but also mental problems, such as reduced levels of happiness. Objectives:: This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of the mindfulness meditation approach on the happiness of women with underlying premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Methods:: The sample size was estimated by power of 90%, confidence interval of 95%, δ1= 6.07and δ2 = 5.11, μ1= 23.05,μ2=19.01, Z1- β= 1.28, Z1- α/2 =1.96 and α = 0.05, the total number of the subjects was 112 respondents (56 in intervention and 56 in the control groups). One hundred twelve participants who had PMS in one interventional-educational study were randomly selected from the health centers in Isfahan. The samples were divided into two groups: intervention and control groups. The intervention group received eight 60-minute sessions of mindfulness education using Google Meet. They taught meditation in a sitting position for 1-10 minutes by using sounds and thoughts as the center of attention, applying the attention technique with a focus on body movements while breathing, and doing yoga and relaxing the muscles to relieve stress. The control group received no intervention. The data were collected using the demographic characteristics questionnaire and the Oxford Happiness questionnaire three times(before, immediately, and one month after the intervention). SPSS 23, chi-square, independent t-test, and repeated measure ANOVA were used to analyze the data. Results:: There was a significant increase in the mean score of happiness in the intervention group immediately and one month after the intervention (P=0.0001). Conclusion:: It was found that mindfulness education was effective on the level of happiness in women with PMS; therefore, this intervention can be used to improve the level of happiness in women with PMS.

Dancing With Care: Promoting Social Inclusion Among Older Women in China Through a Novel Preventative Care Model

This article examines how a new form of preventative care provision—dancing with care (DWC)—promotes social inclusion among older women in China and explores whether DWC can be regarded as an effective way to address the challenges these older women face in improving their social inclusion and achieving a healthy lifestyle. Our study demonstrates that various dimensions of DWC play a vital role in addressing the difficulties these older women encounter in their struggle to end their own social exclusion: These dimensions include levels of happiness, social network involvement, access to social support in “preventative care terms”, and the role of own’s grandchildren as a means to social bonding. Various dimensions of DWC align with the concept of preventative care for older women in urban communities. Using semi-structured interviews in selected “DWC communities” located in southern China, this article demonstrates that DWC contributes to addressing older women’s social inclusion by providing preventative care. In addition, we also performed an empirical data analysis that included institutional regulations for DWC design and implementation, publications by DWC communities, and academic research focused on DWC communities. DWC proposes an appealing path for older women to actively engage with and within their community. Furthermore, it offers valuable insights into the potential of a new model of preventative care and our conclusions will serve as a reference for enhancing social involvement among older individuals globally.

Associated factors of loneliness among primary school students

Loneliness is associated with various negative mental and physical health outcomes. Studies on factors associated with loneliness can inform its early screening and prevention. However, little is known about what factors are associated with loneliness among Chinese young children. The present study aimed to identify the various loneliness-associated factors (demographic, personal, school-related, and family-related) among primary school students in Hong Kong. A total of 258 students and their parents from six primary schools in Hong Kong completed an online anonymous survey from June to October 2020. Loneliness (i.e., UCLA Loneliness Scale 3 total score ≥ 3) was reported by 14% of the students. Multivariable mixed effects logistic regression suggested loneliness was positively associated with a lower happiness level at school, poorer independence skills, a lower level of satisfaction with parents, and lower child-rearing expenditure. There was no clustering effect of school on the associations. The current study found important demographic, personal, school-related, and family-related factors of loneliness among school-age children, with caution suggested in their interpretation considering the cross-sectional nature of this study. Future studies with a larger sample, preferably longitudinal ones, are needed to substantiate these associations and uncover their underlying mechanisms.

The Role of Spouses’ Relationships in Ensuring Family Well-being

There is an acute problem in the world of family relationships, their impact on human development, determining the dependence of social factors on the well-being of the family, and creating a socio-pedagogical mechanism aimed at increasing the level of happiness of families. One of the priority areas is to further improve the comprehensive education of children in the family, to ensure the stability of family relationships, and to expand pedagogical opportunities. Based on this, our study highlights the problems of family problems that affect the sustainability of today’s families and the implementation of mechanisms for eliminating stereotypes through pedagogical mechanisms through training seminars. The article mainly reveals the need to focus on improving the relationship of spouses’ by improving traditional and empathic mechanisms.

Rules and Ethical Conduct Guiding the Performance of the Public Service Sector

there are rules and regulations, code of conducts as well as modus operandi that guide people in every organization, the Nigerian public service is not exempted from it. The public service of Nigeria has been characterized with a high level corruption, gross misconduct, financial misappropriation, embezzlement of public funds, nepotism, low value, and all manner of unethical behaviours. All these persist despite the plethora of studies carried out to sanitize the system. It is against this backdrop, this paper was written, so as to look into the ethical rules and values in the public service of Nigeria. The various concepts were analyzed. An empirical study, exploring the secondary source of collection was carried out. The utilitarian principle propounded by scholars Jeremy Bethnam and John Stuart Mill, formed our thought process. This theory is premised on the principle of the greatest level of happiness in a society. The following findings were discovered; that despite the works done by various scholars on ethics and values in the public service of Nigeria, all manner of unethical behaviours remain pervasive. Also, the campaign on instilling right ethical standards and value system in the service of Nigeria, is a continuous process. In submission, the following but not limited, were recommended; an overhauling of the public service to ensure everyone (workers and applicants) would imbibe the ethics and values of the public service, those who manage government’s affairs must lead by example, and the empowerment of the office of the citizens so as to serve as watchdog to these public servants.

Levels of depression, anxiety and subjective happiness among health sciences students in Croatia: a multi-centric cross-sectional study

BackgroundPrevious studies have shown that symptoms of depression and anxiety were highly prevalent among health sciences students. This may lead to other professional and personal difficulties and a decrease in individuals’ well-being. This study aimed to analyze levels of depression, anxiety and subjective happiness among health sciences students in Croatia.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study in 10 higher education institutions in Croatia during March 2023. Eligible participants were health sciences students. Participants filled out an online survey consisting of sociodemographic questions and validated scales for determining the levels of depression (9-question Patient Health Questionnaire, PHQ-9), anxiety (General Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale, GAD-7), and happiness (Subjective Happiness Scale, SHS).ResultsOf 7460 invited students, 2137 students participated in the study (29% response rate). There were 41.4% of students that exhibited at least mild depressive symptoms, with 8% of students exhibiting moderately severe symptoms and 1.8% severe depressive symptoms. Mild anxiety was found in 36.8%, moderate anxiety in 23.9% and severe anxiety in 15.8% of students. The median SHS score was 19 (15.25–22).Women students had significantly higher levels of depression (p < 0.001) and anxiety (p < 0.001) than their men peers. Students in earlier study years showed higher levels of depression, anxiety and lower levels of subjective happiness compared to those in later study years. Students with lower self-assessed financial status had higher levels of depression (p < 0.001) and anxiety (p < 0.001). Students that failed an academic year had higher levels of depression (p < 0.001), but lower levels of anxiety (p = 0.005).ConclusionIn this study, we have shown that health sciences students exhibit high levels of depression and anxiety, at rates exceeding those in the general population reported in other studies. Our results may help educational institutions to put greater effort into the battle against mental health stigma, foster acceptance of mental health issues and encourage students to seek help when needed. Adequate mental health services are needed at universities to promote timely diagnosis and treatment of mental health problems.