Dataset Information

Understanding University Students' Experiences, Perceptions, and Attitudes Toward Peers Displaying Mental Health-Related Problems on Social Networking Sites: Online Survey and Interview Study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

College students' mental health is at an all-time low. Students are increasingly disclosing their vulnerable, stigmatizing experiences on online social networking sites (SNSs). Peer support facilitated by SNSs can play a crucial role for the students in coping with mental health-related problems. Thus, it is imperative to understand how university students form perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors toward their peers who are dealing with mental health problems.

Objective

This study aimed to provide a better understanding of how college students recognize, perceive, and react to signs of mental health problems in their peers on SNSs. Our ultimate goal in this study was to inform the design of SNSs that can facilitate online peer support.

Methods

We conducted surveys with 226 students as well as semistructured interviews with 20 students at six universities in South Korea.

Results

Of the 226 survey respondents, 150 (66.4%) reported that they recognized signs of a mental health problem on their friends' SNS posts. However, a considerable number of respondents (62/150, 41.3%) were reluctant to offer support, even when they had identified friends who were at risk; this reluctance was due to a lack of knowledge or confidence and their desire to maintain a distance from at-risk peers to save their identity from stigmatization and to avoid emotional contagion online.

Conclusions

Drawing on these results, we provide implications that could explain the construction of students' perceptions regarding their peers' mental health problems. We also provide design proposals for SNSs to serve as platforms that facilitate just-in-time and adaptive support exchanges among peers while mitigating stigma-related concerns.

SUBMITTER: Kim T

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8527375 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundThe term second victim describes a healthcare professional who has been involved in an adverse event and feels wounded by the event. The effects of this experience differ. It can present as second victim syndrome, describing a wide range and degree of emotional and behavioural responses. Studies show that medical students can also experience second victim. The aim of this study was to elucidate medical students' experiences, perceptions, and management of second victim and second victim syndrome and to describe possible learning needs around these issues.MethodsThirteen medical students and two recent medical graduates participated in semi-structured focus group interviews. The interviews lasted 1.5-2 h and were audiotaped, transcribed, and analysed using Braun and Clarke's six-step approach for thematic analysis.ResultsFour main themes were identified: contributing factors; current coping strategies; perception of own requirements and learning needs; wishes for the future healthcare system. Students' behavioural and emotional response to dilemmas were affected by stakeholders and practices embedded in the healthcare system. Students described patient-injury and unexpected events as triggers for second victim, but also harmful interactions with individuals and feelings of self-blame. Students' coping centred around their network, formal offers, and separation of personal- and work-life. Students sought a clear definition of second victim and a desire for role-models. Students' wished to learn how to handle feeling like a burden to others, managing waiting time after patient complaints, and learning how to help second victims recover. Students emphasized the importance of the healthcare organisation understanding students' needs and providing them relevant support.ConclusionStudents experience second victim as described in the literature. Students' emotional responses were caused by classical second victim triggers, but also other triggers in the educational environment: harmful interactions and self-blame. Although some triggers differ from the second victim definition, these different triggers should be considered equally serious and acknowledged. We must aim to prepare students for future adverse events and emotional responses. The health organisation and healthcare professionals must support students' mental well-being and contribute to ideal conditions for students' professional development and management of second victim as future physicians.

Project description:Food-related choices have an important impact on health. Food preparation methods may be linked to diet and health benefits. However, the factors influencing people's food choices, and how they are shaped by food preparation experiences, are still not fully understood. We aimed to study home food preparation practices, experiences and perceptions amongst adults in North East England. A matrix was used to purposively sample participants with diverse socio-demographic characteristics. Participants developed photographic food diaries that were used as prompts during semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using the Framework Method. Interviews were conducted with 18 adults (five men and 13 women), aged approximately 20 to 80 years, to reach data saturation. Participants' practices varied widely, from reliance on pre-prepared foods, to preparing complex meals entirely from basic ingredients. Key themes emerged regarding the cook (identity), the task (process of cooking), and the context (situational drivers). Resources, in terms of time, money and facilities, were also underpinning influences on food preparation. Participants' practices were determined by both personal motivations to cook, and the influence of others, and generally reflected compromises between varied competing demands and challenges in life. Most people appeared to be overall content with their food preparation behaviour, though ideally aspired to cook more frequently, using basic ingredients. This often seemed to be driven by social desirability. Home food preparation is complex, with heterogeneous practices, experiences and perceptions both between individuals and within the same individual over time, according to shifting priorities and circumstances. Generalisability of these findings may be limited by the regional participant sample; however the results support and build upon previous research. Focussing interventions on life transition points at which priorities and circumstances change, with careful targeting to stimulate personal motivation and social norms, may prove effective in encouraging home food preparation.

Project description:BackgroundHuman papillomavirus (HPV) is a well-known cause of cervical cancer. The prevalence of HPV, insufficient preventive services, inadequate treatment access, socioeconomic conditions, certain cultural causes and values and opinions regarding cervical cancer have been established as factors contributing to the occurrence of cervical cancer in various parts of the world.ObjectiveTo determine university students' knowledge, attitudes and perceptions regarding HPV and its vaccine.Material and methodsThe present cross-sectional study included students enrolled at the University of Hail, Saudi Arabia. Data were collected from January to May 2020 using a previously validated 26-item questionnaire.ResultsA total of 386 participants responded to the survey; the response rate was 80%. The majority of the respondents (63%) were male and 332 (86%) respondents were single among the overall study population. Most respondents were aged 21-25 years (75.6%), followed by 26-30 years (12.7%). In total, 130 (33.7%) respondents reported that they had heard of HPV before, while 174 (45.1%) reported that HPV infections are rare in Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, 102 (26.4%) respondents thought that HPV causes genital warts, while almost 29.5% believed that HPV infection is a sexually transmitted disease. Nearly 76.2% of the respondents did not believe that HPV infection can occur without symptoms. Moreover, 53.4% of the respondents stated that they did not know the health problems associated with HPV infection, while 148 (38.8%) stated that cervical cancer is a health problem associated with HPV infection. When asked about their understanding of the HPV vaccine, nearly 267 (62.2%) respondents believed that there is no vaccine for HPV, while 239 (61.9%) believed that the vaccine does not minimise the risk of cervical cancer. In addition, the respondents reported that they would be far more likely to get an HPV vaccine if recommended by their doctors [relative importance index (RII) = 0.745], followed by their friends (RII = 0.675).ConclusionThe present findings provide a clear understanding of university students' knowledge, perceptions and attitudes regarding HPV; this information can be used to raise awareness by developing an effective educational strategy. However, further research with a larger sample size is recommended; such efforts would also aid in the development of educational services for various age ranges.