Dataset Information

Analysis of Well-Being and Anxiety among University Students.

ABSTRACT: This article aims to interrelate dimensions of the well-being validation instruments proposed by Watson, Clark and Tellegen (PANAS) with generalized anxiety dimensions proposed by Spitzer et al. (GAD-7) and state-trait anxiety inventories proposed by Biaggio and Natalício (IDATE), using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), in the case of individual university students in southern Brazil and the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina. We conducted a behavioral study, characterized as exploratory-descriptive, by applying a questionnaire survey to collect data though face-to face interviews to a group of 460 university students from June to August 2019. A non-probabilistic sampling method for convenience was used, justified by the heterogeneous incidence of the participants. Our results support most of the proposed hypotheses. Only one hypothesis was rejected, i.e., that the Positive Affection Scale (WBS) is not related to the State Anxiety Inventory (IAE)-when a person is feeling in full activity, this situation does not affect the momentary state, characterized by tension, apprehension and by increased activity in the autonomic nervous system. In terms of the subjective well-being of students, 14.13% were found to have a low rating. 86.74% were found to have generalized anxiety; 75% had trait anxiety, and 80.22% had state anxiety. Our results indicate the need for preventive measures to minimize anxiety and help maintain necessary levels of well-being during this phase of academic development and when forging a professional career. It is expected that new studies will contribute to the advancement of such themes, particularly with university students.

SUBMITTER: Dias Lopes LF

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7312407 | biostudies-literature | 2020 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Analysis of Well-Being and Anxiety among University Students.

Dias Lopes Luis Felipe LF Chaves Bianca Michels BM Fabrício Adriane A Porto Adriana A Machado de Almeida Damiana D Obregon Sandra Leonara SL Pimentel Lima Mauren M Vieira da Silva Wesley W Camargo Maria Emilia ME da Veiga Claudimar Pereira CP de Moura Gilnei Luiz GL Costa Vieira da Silva Luciana Santos LS Flores Costa Vânia Medianeira VM

International journal of environmental research and public health 20200530 11

This article aims to interrelate dimensions of the well-being validation instruments proposed by Watson, Clark and Tellegen (PANAS) with generalized anxiety dimensions proposed by Spitzer et al. (GAD-7) and state-trait anxiety inventories proposed by Biaggio and Natalício (IDATE), using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), in the case of individual university students in southern Brazil and the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina. We conducted a behavioral study, characteriz ...[more]

PMID: 32486134

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Project description:BACKGROUND: Depression and anxiety are common mental health difficulties experienced by university students and can impair academic and social functioning. Students are limited in seeking help from professionals. As university students are highly connected to digital technologies, Web-based and computer-delivered interventions could be used to improve students' mental health. The effectiveness of these intervention types requires investigation to identify whether these are viable prevention strategies for university students. OBJECTIVE: The intent of the study was to systematically review and analyze trials of Web-based and computer-delivered interventions to improve depression, anxiety, psychological distress, and stress in university students. METHODS: Several databases were searched using keywords relating to higher education students, mental health, and eHealth interventions. The eligibility criteria for studies included in the review were: (1) the study aimed to improve symptoms relating to depression, anxiety, psychological distress, and stress, (2) the study involved computer-delivered or Web-based interventions accessed via computer, laptop, or tablet, (3) the study was a randomized controlled trial, and (4) the study was trialed on higher education students. Trials were reviewed and outcome data analyzed through random effects meta-analyses for each outcome and each type of trial arm comparison. Cochrane Collaboration risk of bias tool was used to assess study quality. RESULTS: A total of 17 trials were identified, in which seven were the same three interventions on separate samples; 14 reported sufficient information for meta-analysis. The majority (n=13) were website-delivered and nine interventions were based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). A total of 1795 participants were randomized and 1480 analyzed. Risk of bias was considered moderate, as many publications did not sufficiently report their methods and seven explicitly conducted completers' analyses. In comparison to the inactive control, sensitivity meta-analyses supported intervention in improving anxiety (pooled standardized mean difference [SMD] -0.56; 95% CI -0.77 to -0.35, P<.001), depression (pooled SMD -0.43; 95% CI -0.63 to -0.22, P<.001), and stress (pooled SMD -0.73; 95% CI -1.27 to -0.19, P=.008). In comparison to active controls, sensitivity analyses did not support either condition for anxiety (pooled SMD -0.18; 95% CI -0.98 to 0.62, P=.66) or depression (pooled SMD -0.28; 95% CI -0.75 to -0.20, P=.25). In contrast to a comparison intervention, neither condition was supported in sensitivity analyses for anxiety (pooled SMD -0.10; 95% CI -0.39 to 0.18, P=.48) or depression (pooled SMD -0.33; 95% CI -0.43 to 1.09, P=.40). CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest Web-based and computer-delivered interventions can be effective in improving students' depression, anxiety, and stress outcomes when compared to inactive controls, but some caution is needed when compared to other trial arms and methodological issues were noticeable. Interventions need to be trialed on more heterogeneous student samples and would benefit from user evaluation. Future trials should address methodological considerations to improve reporting of trial quality and address post-intervention skewed data.

Project description:IntroductionOver 30% of Canadians between the ages of 16 and 24 years attend university. This period of life coincides with the onset of common mental illnesses. Yet, data to inform university-based mental health prevention and early intervention initiatives are limited. The U-Flourish longitudinal study based out of Queen's University, Canada and involving Oxford University in the UK, is a student informed study funded by the Canadian Institute for Health Research Strategy for Patient Oriented Research (CIHR-SPOR). The primary goal of U-Flourish research is to examine the contribution of risk and resiliency factors to outcomes of well-being and academic success in first year students transitioning to university.Methods and analysisThe study is a longitudinal survey of all first-year undergraduate students entering Queen's University in the fall term of 2018 (and will launch at Oxford University in fall of 2019). In accordance with the CIHR-SPOR definitions, students represent the target population (ie, patient equivalent). Student peer health educators were recruited to inform the design, content and implementation of the study. Baseline surveys of Queen's first year students were completed in the fall of 2018, and follow-up surveys at the end of first year in the spring of 2019. Extensive student-led engagement campaigns were used to maximise participation rates. The baseline survey included measures of personal factors, family factors, environmental factors, psychological and emotional health, and lifestyle factors. Main outcomes include self-reported indicators of mental health at follow-up and mental health service access, as well as objective measures of academic success through linkage to university administrative and academic databases. A combination of mixed effects regression techniques will be employed to determine associations between baseline predictive factors and mental health and academic outcomes.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval was obtained by the Health Sciences and Affiliated Teaching Hospitals Research Ethics Board (HSREB) (#6023126) at Queen's University. Findings will be disseminated through international and national peer-reviewed scientific articles and other channels including student-driven support and advocacy groups, newsletters and social media.

Project description:BackgroundPsychoeducation has the potential to support students experiencing distress and help meet the demand for support; however, there is a need to understand how these programs are experienced. Web-based diaries are a useful activity for psychoeducation because of their therapeutic benefits, ability to capture naturalistic data relevant to well-being, and appropriateness for text analysis methods.ObjectiveThis study aims to examine how university students use electronic diaries within a psychoeducation program designed to enhance mental well-being.MethodsThe Science of Happiness course was administered to 154 undergraduate students in a university setting (the United Kingdom). Diaries were collected from the students for 9 weeks. Baseline well-being data were collected using the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (SWEMWBS). The percentage of negative and positive emotion words used in diaries (emotional tone) and use of words from five life domains (social, work, money, health, and leisure) were calculated using the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count 2015 software. Random effects (generalized least squares) regression models were estimated to examine whether time, diary characteristics, demographics, and baseline well-being predict the emotional tone of diaries.ResultsA total of 149 students participated in the diary study, producing 1124 individual diary entries. Compliance with the diary task peaked in week 1 (n=1041, 92.62%) and was at its lowest in week 3 (n=807, 71.81%). Compared with week 1, diaries were significantly more positive in their emotional tone during week 5 (mean difference 23.90, 95% CI 16.89-30.90) and week 6 (mean difference 26.62, 95% CI 19.35-33.88) when students were tasked with writing about gratitude and their strengths. Across weeks, moderate and high baseline SWEMWBS scores were associated with a higher percentage of positive emotion words used in diaries (increases compared with students scoring low in SWEMWBS were 5.03, 95% CI 0.08-9.98 and 7.48, 95% CI 1.84-13.12, respectively). At week 1, the diaries of students with the highest levels of baseline well-being (82.92, 95% CI 73.08-92.76) were more emotionally positive on average than the diaries of students with the lowest levels of baseline well-being (59.38, 95% CI 51.02-67.73). Diaries largely focused on the use of social words. The emotional tone of diary entries was positively related to the use of leisure (3.56, 95% CI 2.28-4.85) and social words (0.74, 95% CI 0.21-1.27), and inversely related to the use of health words (-1.96, 95% CI -3.70 to -0.22).ConclusionsWe found evidence for short-term task-specific spikes in the emotional positivity of web-based diary entries and recommend future studies examine the possibility of long-term impacts on the writing and well-being of students. With student well-being strategies in mind, universities should value and encourage leisure and social activities.

Dataset Information

Analysis of Well-Being and Anxiety among University Students.

Publications

Analysis of Well-Being and Anxiety among University Students.

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