Mental Health Of College Students Research Articles

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

Background: 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. Aim: To assess post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) occurrence and coping strategies adopted by university students in Sudan. Methods: 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. Results: 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. Conclusion: 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

BackgroundThe 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.AimThe 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.MethodA 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.ResultsFour 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).ConclusionThis 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.

Effects of a mindfulness-based program on the occupational balance and mental health of university students. Protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

The aim is to examine whether the addition of Virtual Reality (VR) meditation training to a standard 8-week Mindfulness-Based Health Care Program (MBHC-VR) results in a significantly increased improvement in occupational, mental health, and psychological functioning versus MBHC-only in university students. A randomized controlled clinical trial with three arms (MBHC, MBHC-VR, Control Group), four assessment time points (pre-intervention, inter-session, post-intervention, and 3-month follow-up), and mixed methodology will be proposed. University students (undergraduate, master, or doctoral) interested in participating and who meet the inclusion/exclusion criteria will be included over two years. Data will be collected from different ad hoc questionnaires, several standardized tests, and an Ecological Momentary Assessment. We will use R software to carry out descriptive analyses (univariate and bivariate), multilevel modeling, and structural equation models to respond to the proposed objective. The qualitative analysis will be carried out using the MAXQDA program and the technique of focus groups. It is expected that with the proposed intervention university students will learn to relate in a healthier way with their mental processes, so as to improve their occupational balance (OB) and their psychological well-being. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT05929430.

Impact of COVID-19 on the Physical Activity and Mental Health of College Students

Impact of COVID-19 on the Physical Activity and Mental Health of College Students

Design of a Computer Technology-Based Teaching System for College Students Mental Health Course

The hypothetical discussion describes the design of a personal computer innovation-based display structure tailored specifically for subordinates enrolled in an educational well-being course. Using a sophisticated approach, this structure intends to raise understudy devotion, urge dynamic studying, and enhance profitability. The displaying framework promotes reflective thinking, resolute thinking, and the acquisition of practical qualities associated with psychological wellness through the use of intuitive multimedia, competitive elements, and tailored input. This innovative displaying structure allows students to grow a more substantial grasp of mental health concerns while growing their personal psychic flourishing in a consistent and enticing teaching environment through the integration of cutting-edge technology with informative content. Modern instructional tactics stay frequently grounded in scheduled exam-based schooling besides infrequently actually caring about the root cause of pupils' questions, although flipping psychological training methods have emerged in some sectors. The primary goal of this concept is to combine digital intelligence with flipping laboratory brain studies. This essay focuses on the characteristics of fraudulent learning as well as the symbolic significance of flipping their house. What exactly are the advantages of the smart display stage over traditional learning? The following piece chooses crucial 1, the classroom, important 2, the school, main 3, the group, and key 4, from our institution's undergraduates. The A1 and B1 groups guide an academic year of artificial intellect, along with the concept of inverted classrooms for neuroscience. Bundles A2 and B2 depict the under study in accordance with normal training. According to the study data, the size of gatherings A1 and B1 increased respectively. Gatherings A1 and B1 had higher midterm and final normal scores respectively, than assemblages A2 and B2, and their scores have increased by a rate. The influence of artificial intelligence and flipping residence mind study on mental health in education programs may additionally energize subordinates' benefit and forward the advancement of understudy's display throughout autonomous education.

Changes in Mental Health among Japanese University Students during the COVID-19 Era: Differences by College Department, Graduate Level, Sex, and Academic Year.

This study compared the effects of academic year, college department, and undergraduate or graduate status on Japanese students' mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. From 2021-2023, an online survey was conducted using the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Systems-Japanese (CCAPS-Japanese) to evaluate students' mental health; 9395 undergraduate students (4623 female, 4772 male) and 1169 graduate students (380 female, 789 male) responded. Undergraduate students in medicine had lower levels of depression, generalized anxiety, and social anxiety than those in other departments. Engineering students exhibited the highest level of academic distress. First-year students had the highest levels of generalized and social anxiety but the lowest level of academic distress. Second-year students had the lowest level of depression, and third-year students had the highest level of academic distress. Among graduate students, first-year students had higher levels of depression, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, academic distress, and hostility than second-year students. Undergraduates had poorer mental health than graduate students. Females had higher levels of eating concerns than males among undergraduate students. This study revealed that the mental health of university students was affected by various factors. These findings demonstrate the characteristics of university students requiring early support.

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.

The Current Situation and Enhancement of College Students' Mental Health

The purpose of this study is to investigate college students and examine the current status of their mental health, so as to provide a basis for improving the mental health of college students. Three hundred and ninety-six college students were selected as the research subjects and their mental health was investigated by questionnaire method. The results showed that: 1. The mean scores of each dimension of SCL-90 and the mean scores of SCL-90 total scores ranged from 1.2654 to 1.7997, which were higher than the theoretical value of asymptomatic (1 point); the SCL-90 total scores were also higher than the theoretical value of asymptomatic (90 points). 2. The number of college students whose mean scores of each of the 10 dimensions of SCL-90, and whose mean scores of the total score of the scale reached the score of the positive symptom determinationranged from 9.09% to 31.06%; the proportion of college students whose total scores on the SCL-90 reached the positive symptom determination score was 16.41%, and the level of college students' mental health was relatively low.3. Effective and feasible methods to improve college students' mental health have been proposed. This study not only investigates the current situation of college students' mental health, but also provides empirical support and theoretical guidance for improving college students' mental health.

The impact of volunteer service on moral education performance and mental health of college students.

Moral education in colleges and universities is an important part of the talent training system, including moral education curriculum, moral education practice, mental health education. Volunteer service is a public welfare act in which volunteers volunteer their time, knowledge, property, technology, with the ultimate goal of helping others and serving the society without personal compensation. As an innovative form of moral education practice in colleges and universities, college students' voluntary service is of great significance in promoting the reform and innovation of moral education, enhancing the affinity, appeal and influence of moral education, and building a positive psychology for college students. As an effective carrier of moral education practice in colleges and universities, voluntary service is helpful to enhance the effectiveness of moral education practice and construct the positive psychology of college students. This project is based on the actual situation of college students participating in volunteer services, and collected the volunteer services of 4545 college students in Zhejiang Province. Through model construction and data modeling, the correlation between college students' participation in volunteer service and their moral education performance and mental health was analyzed, and the basic path and guarantee measures to promote the role of volunteer service in moral education and positive psychological construction were deeply explored. From the correlation analysis of students' voluntary service participation, moral education performance and voluntary service motivation, students' attributes are determined according to their voluntary service participation, so as to predict their moral education performance and mental health level. College students' voluntary service is partially positively related to their moral education performance and mental health. In order to improve students' moral education performance and mental health, we can optimize the participation frequency, participation duration, participation ways and type structure of voluntary service, constantly increase the participation frequency of voluntary service, increase the duration of voluntary service, broaden the participation ways of voluntary activities, and enrich the types of voluntary service activities.

Introversion, Alexithymia, and Hostility: A Path Analysis From Personality to Suicidal Ideation Among University Students.

The aim of the current study was to investigate the relationship between state (i.e., hostility) and trait (i.e., social detachment, alexithymia) psychological constructs associated with suicidal ideation among university students. A group of 190 university students was consecutively recruited in the period between September 2022 and March 2023. After a clinical interview, a series of psychological tests were administered: the Cattell's 16-Personality Factors Questionnaire (16PF), the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), the Symptom Checklist-90-R (SCL-90-R), and the anamnestic form of the Cognitive Behavioral Assessment (CBA2.0), which contains a specific question regarding the suicidal ideation. The analyses demonstrated that alexithymia fully mediated the relationship between a particular aspect of introversion (social detachment or low warmth) and hostility which, in turn, seemed to be a significant predictor of suicidal ideation. The path analysis conducted seemed to highlight the importance of personality traits, such as social detachment and the ability to recognize and express one's internal states, on the mental health of university students in terms of hostility and suicidal ideation. Considering that the reduction of suicide mortality has been prioritized as a global target in the 15-19 age group, identifying the psychological factors associated with it is fundamental.

Young adults from disadvantaged groups experience more stress and deterioration in mental health associated with polycrisis.

The recent polycrisis (COVID-19, Ukraine war, climate change, economic crisis) has been associated with mental health through cumulative stress, with young people being particularly vulnerable. We surveyed 403 college students from Poland to examine their psychological responses to the experienced crises. The results showed that polycrisis was associated with worse mental health of college students from disadvantaged groups (based on gender, sexual orientation, and financial situation) compared to other college students, in four areas: sense of proximity to the crises, stress caused by the crises, sense of responsibility for mitigating the crises, and experiencing everyday moral dilemmas regarding the crises. These young adults also suffered more in terms of negative affectivity, depressive symptoms, and subjective physical and mental health. Our findings suggest that when discussing public mental health perspectives, it is important to consider consequences of cumulative stress and its greater impact on young people from disadvantaged groups.

Study on the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of Chinese college students: a cross-sectional analysis.

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the mental health of college students, prompting the need for universities to implement measures to mitigate these adverse effects. This study aims to assess the mental health status and mitigation measures of college students, identify the primary factors contributing to their mental health challenges, and provide suggestions for educational institutions to reduce negative psychological impacts. In February 2023, a questionnaire survey was conducted among 1,445 college students. Statistical analysis was performed on the survey results, and multiple regression models were used to identify significant influencing factors and optimize the model. The study revealed correlations between factors affecting mental health during the pandemic, with interactions observed among some factors. Significant differences in mental health status were found among different groups of college students based on their information-sharing habits through apps and engagement in thesis research. Multiple regression analysis indicated that conducting academic research related to COVID-19 significantly increased the psychological stress of college students during the pandemic (p = 0.043). Among all mitigation measures, playing games demonstrated significant effectiveness in model analysis (p = 0.047). The optimization of the model showed that the multiple regression model considering the interaction of factors was more effective. Our research identifies crucial factors influencing the mental health of college students and investigates the mental health status of various student groups. We recommend that educational institutions adopt proactive strategies and a multifaceted approach to support the mental health of college students and address potential issues that may arise.

Confronting well-being and mental health in the ‘therapeutic university’: implications for educators, students and the curriculum

ABSTRACT This is a conceptual paper that examines the emergence of the ‘therapeutic university’ and considers its potential implications for policy and practice in Higher Education (HE). Concern over the well-being and mental health of university students both in the United Kingdom (UK) and internationally has recently intensified in media, academic and political spheres, to the extent that Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are increasingly offering a diverse range of ad-hoc initiatives and practices based on the language and techniques of an equally diverse popular psychology. An emotionally oriented ‘therapeutic university’ (TU) is emerging from a complex intertwining of policies of social liberalism, specifically widening participation, and policies of economic liberalism which seek to cultivate the higher education (HE) sector as a competitive marketplace. While the TU might appear to offer the potential to alleviate mental health conditions, these therapeutic practices are frequently conceived as self-evidently good and rarely subjected to any critical scrutiny. This article explores three inter-related sets of concerns regarding the implications of the TU for educators, students and the curriculum and, through an exploratory account, illustrates these trends from our own lived experiences of working within a TU. Framed by insights from critical pedagogy, we critically analyse the current well-being agenda in the British HE sector and how this positions educators as ‘agents of well-being’ rather than ‘agents of criticality’.

The Impacts of Forest Therapy on the Physical and Mental Health of College Students: A Review

The aim of this review is to investigate the impacts of various forest therapy activities on the physical and mental health of college students. Additionally, it evaluates the research methodologies and existing issues in current studies, providing an important agenda for future research. Research was conducted based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). The findings suggest significant effects of forest therapy activities on the physiology and psychology of college students, notably improving the cardiovascular system, enhancing the immune system, boosting emotional well-being, alleviating job-related stress, and enhancing academic performance. This study further clarifies forest therapy as an emerging and effective intervention to reduce stress levels among college students, particularly when carried out continuously in easily accessible campus forest environments. Such therapeutic activities could serve as a component of daily stress-relieving programs for college students. This assessment offers valuable information for college students, educational institutions, and policymakers to promote the development of forest therapy on university campuses. However, some of the studies included in this investigation lacked methodological rigor. Future research should employ rigorous study designs to assess the long-term impacts of various forest therapy approaches on the mental and physical health of college students and identify the primary influencing factors. This will aid in determining suitable content, forms, and strategies for forest therapy projects tailored to college students, thereby maximizing the potential benefits of forest therapy on their mental and physical well-being.

Latent profiles of emotion regulation among university students: links to repetitive negative thinking, internet addiction, and subjective wellbeing.

Recent years have seen a deterioration in the mental health of university students and notable surge in the need for psychological support. Due to its links to psychopathology and high-risk behaviors, difficulty in emotion regulation frequently serves as a transdiagnostic dimension. This cross-sectional study used a person-centered analytical approach (latent profile analysis; LPA) to identify groups of Portuguese university students with similar profiles of emotion regulation difficulties (N = 261; Mage = 22.5 ± 1.2 years; n = 213 female) and describe how these groups differ in their presentation of repetitive negative thinking, internet addiction, and subjective wellbeing. The analyses identified four latent profiles: 14.5% of students showed global dysregulation (the Low Emotion Regulation Profile), 23% were moderately dysregulated with elevated problems in goal-directed behavior (the Moderate Emotion Regulation Profile), 8% showed specific difficulties with low emotional awareness and clarity (the Low Insight Profile), and 54.4% showed adaptive emotion regulation (the High Emotion Regulation Profile). As anticipated, the Low Emotion Regulation Profile had the lowest subjective wellbeing and the highest prevalence of repetitive negative thinking and internet addiction. Students with a Low Insight Profile also showed low subjective wellbeing, but less repetitive negative thinking compared to the Low Emotion Regulation Profile. Our findings suggest that interventions aimed at improving health and wellbeing among university students should consider each student's unique set of emotion regulation difficulties, rather than focusing on particular strategies. Further research may help determine whether emotion regulation profiles can serve as predictive indicators of varying mental health trajectories and subjective wellbeing in university students.

Exploring self-esteem and personality traits as predictors of mental wellbeing among Chinese university students: the mediating and moderating role of resilience.

The mental health of university students is influenced by a variety of factors, including self-esteem and personality traits, with resilience playing a crucial role in mediating and moderating these relationships. This study investigates the intricate dynamics affecting mental well-being in Chinese university students, focusing on the roles of self-esteem, personality traits, and the interventional effects of resilience. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 689 students, aged on average 20.3 years, between April and July 2022. The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS) was used to assess mental well-being, while resilience, personality traits, and self-esteem were evaluated using the revised Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), the Chinese version of the Big Five Inventory-2 (BFI-2), and the Texas Social Behavior Inventory (TSBI), respectively. Analysis revealed significant correlations between self-esteem, personality traits, and both resilience and mental well-being. Resilience was found to partially mediate the relationship between self-esteem and mental well-being and fully mediate certain aspects of the relationship between personality traits and mental well-being. Additionally, tenacity and autonomy were identified as moderators in the link between specific personality traits and mental well-being. The findings highlight the complex interplay between self-esteem, personality traits, resilience, and mental well-being, underscoring the critical role of resilience. This insight is pivotal for developing targeted interventions to bolster mental well-being among university students, emphasizing the need for multifaceted support strategies to enhance student mental health.