Evaluation of a credit-bearing online administered happiness course on undergraduates’ mental well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Psychoeducational courses focused on positive psychology interventions have been shown to benefit student well-being. However, since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and accompanying social restrictions, many educators have had to deliver their courses online. Given that online teaching presents a very different university experience for students, do psychoeducational courses provide similar well-being benefits in an online format? In this pre-registered study (https://osf.io/3f89m), we demonstrate that despite the challenges of remote learning, first year university students (N = 166) taking an online “Science of Happiness” course during the first term experienced positive benefits to mental well-being in comparison to a wait-list control group (N = 198) registered to take the course in the second term. Specifically, university students currently taking the course maintained their mental well-being over the semester relative to the wait-list control who showed a significant decline in well-being and increase in anxiety during the same period. Our findings suggest that the online-administered “Science of Happiness” course delivered during the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a protective effect on mental well-being. We also observed that engagement with the course was high, though there was no evidence that this factor mediated the positive effects we observed. However, we did find evidence that prior interest in increasing well-being influenced the effects of the course; participants with lower well-being interest showed less of a benefit. Our results suggest that online psychoeducational courses might provide a relatively cheap, flexible, and efficient means of providing support as part of an integrated approach to student mental well-being.

Assessing a Happiness and Wellbeing Course in the United Arab Emirates: It is What They Want, but is it What They Need?

“…Hood et al (2021) also showed positive effects in mental wellbeing, life satisfaction and lower loneliness, including during online "pandemic" versions. Likewise, Yale's 'Science of Well-Being' also evidenced greater subjective wellbeing (Yaden et al, 2021), while the latest study to be released (Hobbs et al, 2022) showed much the same.…”

“…warranted. Indeed, while Hobbs et al (2022) showed positive but small effects, they also noted that for-credit offerings are low-intensity tools for large groups, but not high-intensity tools for individuals in clinical settings where efficacy is expectedly higher.…”

“…In fact, this expansion has moved into higher education and includes the offer of academic courses in the science of wellbeing, where theoretical content as well as training in the skills leading to a good life are offered as credit-bearing advantages. While early renditions of such courses did not assess impact (i.e., Bridges et al, 2012;Kim-Prieto & D'Oriano, 2011;Russo-Netzer & Ben-Shahar, 2011;Thomas & McPherson, 2011), more recent offerings have (i.e., Goodmon et al, 2016;Hobbs et al, 2022;Hood et al, 2021;Lefevor et al, 2018;Morgan & Simmons 2021;Yaden et al, 2021;Young et al, 2020). For example, Goodmon et al (2016) showed returns in the form of life satisfaction, fewer depressive symptoms and less stress, while Young et al (2020) showed improvements in positive affect, lower negative affect, stress, and other clinical categories relative to controls.…”

“…Further, comments suggested that some students registered for the course thinking it was an easy grade, others merely fulfilled elective requirements, and others were greatly enthused by the topic. Indeed, Hobbs et al (2022) noted that students with little interest in wellbeing as a topic exhibited poorer wellbeing outcomes in their evaluated classes. Others were unfamiliar with experiential learning.…”

“…Yet, insufficient capacity, low mental health literacy and stigma in both users and providers undermine the region's ability to build positive psychological capabilities (Eissa et al, 2020;Elyamani et al, 2021;Maalouf et al, 2019;Sweileh, 2021b). To counter these, a focus on wellbeing promoted by positive psychology may serve to prevent and treat mental illness, as well as promote wellbeing in the absence of services, and in higher education more specifically (Hernández-Torrano et al, 2020;Hobbs et al, 2022;Waters et al, 2021).…”