Changes in Undergraduate Students’ Psychological Well-Being as They Experience University Life

Abstract

The onset of most lifetime mental disorders occurs during adolescence, and the years in college, as the final stage of adolescence in a broad sense, deserve attention in this respect. The psychological well-being of undergraduate students can influence not only their academic and professional success, but also the development of society as a whole. Although previous studies suggested psychiatric disorders are common in the adult population, there was little consistent information available about undergraduate students’ mental health problems. This research aimed to describe the changes in depression, anxiety, and stress of Chinese full-time undergraduate students as they experienced university life using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21). The main conclusions of our study were as follows: (1) on average, students’ severity scores of depression during the four academic years varied between 7.22 and 7.79, while stress scores ranged from 9.53 to 11.68. However, the anxiety scores of college students in the first three years turned out to be 7.40, 7.24 and 7.10, respectively, slightly overtaking the normal threshold of 7. These results indicated that Chinese college students, in general, were mentally healthy with regard to depression and stress, but their average anxiety levels were beyond normal in the first three years. (2) As for the proportions of students with different degrees of severity, approximately 38% to 43% of college students were above the normal level of anxiety, about 35% above the normal level of depression, and around 20% to 30% above the normal level of stress. (3) There were significant differences in the psychological health states of students of different years, especially among the sophomores, juniors, and seniors; the highest score of depression, anxiety, and stress all appeared in the first or second year on average, but some improvements were achieved in the third and last years. The findings suggested that colleges and universities need to pay special attention to psychologically unhealthy students, and with concerted efforts by the government, formulate mental health policies in the prevention, detection, and treatment of students’ psychiatric disorders, rather than just focusing on their average levels of mental health.

Does Physical Activity Matter for the Mental Health of University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic?

“…Among Jordanian university students, higher anxiety was reported in females, individuals with the lowest monthly income, those with less coronavirus knowledge, and those who believed the disease was part of a conspiracy [21]. The present results do not differ substantially from previous research conducted before the coronavirus pandemic outbreak [30][31][32][33]. It is confirmed that university and college students experience consistently higher rates of mental health disorders than other populations, which may be slightly elevated by the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown restrictions.…”

“…A review of previous studies conducted before the COVID-19 pandemic showed that depression was present on average in 30.6% of undergraduates [30,31], with significantly higher rates among women. Studies revealed that anxiety has been diagnosed in 12-43% of college and university students [31][32][33]. Thus, there is a need to develop and integrate various prevention and intervention programs at university campuses to cope with stress, anxiety, and depression.…”

<p>Social Anxiety Disorder Among Undergraduate Students of Hawassa University, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ethiopia</p>

“…7,9,20,21 Social phobia is associated with significant impairment in educational achievement, occupational performance, social interaction, relationships, and quality of life that leads to decrease achievement, lower-income and reduce individuals' quality of life. 9,24 Medical and health science students are often confronted with various stressors and the need to become accustomed suitably to achieve academic and professional success elucidates the importance of having good mental health. 9,25 Therefore, understanding the level of SAD is crucial to reveal facts which can significantly influence a students' mental health and prevent other related problems.…”

“…9,24 Medical and health science students are often confronted with various stressors and the need to become accustomed suitably to achieve academic and professional success elucidates the importance of having good mental health. 9,25 Therefore, understanding the level of SAD is crucial to reveal facts which can significantly influence a students' mental health and prevent other related problems.…”

Study Load at the Beginning of Studies at Military University and Coping Strategies

“…Answers to such questions are provided by a sociopsychological view of the study load [17], which puts the student and his abilities in the spotlight, where it is true that the individual's success to cope with study conditions is determined by his ability to manage stress. In this context, many universities mention an increase in the prevalence of reported stress, anxiety and depression among university students [18] [19]. For the military university environment, such mental states of students are undesirable not only in connection with the decision to terminate their studies prematurely, but mainly because they could bring significant security risks for the students themselves, as military training involving weapons is conducted during their studies.…”