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Quansah F, Srem-Sai M, Agormedah EK, Ankomah F, Hagan JE, Schack T. Moderated moderation modelling of subjective social status, pocket money and depressive symptoms of university students in Ghana. Front Public Health 2024; 12:1325441. [PMID: 38638481 PMCID: PMC11025665 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1325441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Although the relationship between subjective social status and depression in university students has been well-established, this association could be seen as a spurious one. Previous studies have shown that key variables like financial resources and age could play key roles in explaining the variances in social status and mental health outcomes. In this research, we assessed the complex interrelationships between subjective social status, financial resources at their disposal and depressive symptoms among university students within their young and middle adulthood stages. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted in a university in Ghana to sample 1134 university students through accidental sampling. The McArthur Scale and WHO-5 Well-being measure were used for the data collection. Results The results revealed that higher levels of subjective social status were associated with lower levels of depression. It was further found that the interaction between students' pocket money and age played unique roles in the relationship between subjective social status and depression. Conclusion The study findings call on stakeholders in education to explore funding opportunities and to examine ways of empowering parents (financially) to adequately support the students. Health educationists and promoters, including psychologists, school counsellors and parents could compliment these efforts by helping to train and empower students through self-regulation or management skills to help improve their well-being. Continuous efforts are required to improve the financial status and mental health of students.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Quansah
- Department of Educational Foundations, University of Education, Winneba, Ghana
| | - Medina Srem-Sai
- Department of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Sports, University of Education, Winneba, Ghana
| | - Edmond Kwesi Agormedah
- Department of Business and Social Sciences Education, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
| | - Francis Ankomah
- Department of Educational Studies, Patton College of Education, Ohio University, Athens, OH, United States
| | - John Elvis Hagan
- Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
- Neurocognition and Action-Biomechanics-Research Group, Faculty of Psychology and Sports Science, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Thomas Schack
- Neurocognition and Action-Biomechanics-Research Group, Faculty of Psychology and Sports Science, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
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Sarker MS, Imtiaz A, Haque S, Mahmud KT. The link between Facebook addiction and depression among university students: Evidence from a lower-middle income country. Health Sci Rep 2023; 6:e1755. [PMID: 38089595 PMCID: PMC10713871 DOI: 10.1002/hsr2.1755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 10/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Background and Aims Among all the social media, Facebook is the most popular social networking site among students. That raises a chance of excessive Facebook usage being a form of addiction to hamper students' mental health. The primary goal of this study was to find the association of Facebook addiction with the depression level of university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method Four hundred ten university students from Bangladesh were selected randomly as samples for this investigation. In this study, the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale and nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire were used to assess the level of Facebook Addiction and depression status of the students, respectively. Ordered probit models were employed to identify the connection between Facebook addiction and depression. Ordinary least square models were utilized further to check the robustness of the findings. Results Ordered probit results confirm that Facebook addiction increases the likelihood of having heightened depression among university students. Besides, sex, household income, and history of being infected by COVID-19 also appeared to be correlated with the depression level of the students. Conclusion Creating opportunities for students to participate in more physically demanding outdoor activities should be prioritized as it could ultimately enhance their capacity to mitigate depression. Appropriate measures must be taken to increase the number of recreational facilities on the campus for students, considering their age, gender, and preferences.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Asif Imtiaz
- Department of Management Information SystemsUniversity of DhakaDhakaBangladesh
- Department of Health PolicyLondon School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)LondonUK
| | - Shejuti Haque
- Department of EconomicsRabindra University, BangladeshSirajganjBangladesh
| | - Kazi Tanvir Mahmud
- Department of EconomicsRabindra University, BangladeshSirajganjBangladesh
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Moss RH, Kelly B, Bird PK, Pickett KE. Examining individual social status using the MacArthur Scale of Subjective Social Status: Findings from the Born in Bradford study. SSM Popul Health 2023; 23:101463. [PMID: 37691981 PMCID: PMC10492156 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2023.101463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Subjective social status is how a person perceives their social class relative to other people and has frequently been associated with people's health and well-being. A frequently used measure of subjective social status is the MacArthur Scale of Subjective Social Status that depicts social status as a 10 rung ladder, asking individuals to rank themselves on this ladder relative to other people, either in their local neighbourhood or wider society. The Born in Bradford's Better Start birth cohort study aims to understand the lives, relationships, wellbeing, and social and economic circumstances of pregnant women and their children in three inner city areas of Bradford, UK. Pregnant mothers were asked to report their subjective social status, using the MacArthur subjective social status scales, comparing themselves to other people in their local neighbourhood and in England as a whole. This paper explores the characteristics of the women who gave responses, examines associations between the MacArthur subjective social status measures and other subjective and objective measures and looks specifically at the characteristics of women who reported either very low or very high subjective social status. On average, women reported that they had a higher social status compared to others within their local neighbourhood (mean ladder rung = 6) and, although participants were from areas of Bradford with very high levels of deprivation, 23% placed themselves on the top three rungs, 8-10. Respondents reported that they had an average social status when comparing themselves to people in all of England (mean ladder rung = 5) and 13% placed themselves on the top rungs 8-10. These findings raise important questions about the interpretation of the MacArthur scale of subjective social status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachael H. Moss
- Bradford Institute for Health Research, Bradford Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust, Bradford, UK
| | - Brian Kelly
- Bradford Institute for Health Research, Bradford Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust, Bradford, UK
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Quansah F, Agormedah EK, Hagan JE, Frimpong JB, Ankomah F, Srem-Sai M, Dadaczynski K, Okan O, Schack T. Subjective social status and well-being of adolescents and young adults in Ghanaian schools: conditional process analysis. BMC Psychol 2023; 11:122. [PMID: 37072828 PMCID: PMC10111290 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-023-01158-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND With the growing concern and interest in the mental health and well-being of adolescents and young adults (AYAs) including those in schools, many studies have explored the bivariate relationship between subjective social status (SSS) and AYAs' subjective well-being (SWB). Acknowledging the spurious nature of this relationship, we assessed the relationship between SSS and SWB of AYAs in schools within Northern Ghana, focusing on the conditional indirect effect of monetary resource (MR) and sense of coherence (SoC). METHODS We utilised a cross-sectional descriptive design to survey 1096 senior high school students from two regions in Ghana's Northern zone through a stratified sampling method. A questionnaire consisting of a number of calibrated standardized measures was used for the data collection. The data were processed using SPSS and PROCESS Macro and analysed using Hayes' conditional process analysis. RESULTS The results revealed that students' MR significantly moderated the relationships between SSS and SoC as well as SSS and SWB. A significant moderated mediation effect of MR and SoC on the relationship between SSS and SWB was found. Particularly, AYAs who reported higher levels of MRl, SSS and SoC reported a better SWB. CONCLUSION The findings underscore the relevance of providing sufficient financial support for students in secondary schools in Ghana; thus, highlighting the sheer relevance of economic capital as a leading factor for better well-being. The findings also place much emphasis on building students' personal coping mechanisms as a key variable in explaining how the students' SSS and MR translate into having positive mental health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Quansah
- Department of Educational Foundations, University of Education, Winneba, P. O. Box 25, Winneba, Ghana
| | - Edmond Kwesi Agormedah
- Department of Business & Social Sciences Education, University of Cape Coast, PMB Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
| | - John Elvis Hagan
- Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, University of Cape Coast, PMB Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.
- Neurocognition and Action-Biomechanics-Research Group, Faculty of Psychology and Sports Science, Bielefeld University, Postfach 10 01 31, 33501, Bielefeld, Germany.
| | - James Boadu Frimpong
- Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, University of Cape Coast, PMB Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
| | - Francis Ankomah
- Department of Education and Psychology, University of Cape Coast, PMB Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
- Department of Education, SDA College of Education, P. O. Box AS 18, Asokore-Koforidua, Ghana
| | - Medina Srem-Sai
- Department of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Sports, University of Education, Winneba, P. O. Box 25, Winneba, Ghana
| | - Kevin Dadaczynski
- Department of Health Science, Fulda University of Applied Sciences, 36037, Fulda, Germany
- Centre for Applied Health Science, Leuphana University Lueneburg, 21335, Lueneburg, Germany
| | - Orkan Okan
- Department of Sports and Health Science, Technical University Munich, 80992, Munich, Germany
| | - Thomas Schack
- Neurocognition and Action-Biomechanics-Research Group, Faculty of Psychology and Sports Science, Bielefeld University, Postfach 10 01 31, 33501, Bielefeld, Germany
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Agyapong B, Shalaby R, Wei Y, Agyapong VIO. Can ResilienceNHope, an evidence-based text and email messaging innovative suite of programs help to close the psychological treatment and mental health literacy gaps in college students? Front Public Health 2022; 10:890131. [PMID: 36388394 PMCID: PMC9650226 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.890131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
There is a high prevalence of stress, anxiety, depression, and substance use disorders in college students globally. Financial stressors, course workload, peer pressure, and other personal, family, and societal stressors contribute to the high incidence of mental disorders among college students. Despite the high prevalence of mental disorders in college students, barriers such as lack of mental health literacy, stigma of mental health, inadequate numbers of mental health counselors and clinical psychologists supporting students in colleges in both low- and high-income countries, and financial and geographical barriers often hinder college students from accessing the needed mental supports. There is increasing evidence on the effectiveness and feasibility of mobile technology in health promotion and closing psychological treatment gaps. College students are well adapted to the use of mobile technology, particularly text and email messaging daily, which presents a unique opportunity for an innovative way to offer support for their mental health. In this article, we provide a perspective on the ResilienceNHope program, an evidence-based text and email messaging innovation, to close the psychological treatment gap and improve the mental health literacy of college students.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belinda Agyapong
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada,Global Psychological eHealth Foundation, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Reham Shalaby
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Yifeng Wei
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Vincent I. O. Agyapong
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada,Global Psychological eHealth Foundation, Edmonton, AB, Canada,Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada,*Correspondence: Vincent I. O. Agyapong
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Turner R, Rubin M. Issues affecting mental health at a fly‐in‐fly‐out mine site: A subjective impact ratings approach. JOURNAL OF APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/jasp.12913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Richard Turner
- School of Psychology The University of Newcastle Callaghan Australia
| | - Mark Rubin
- School of Psychology The University of Newcastle Callaghan Australia
- Department of Psychology Durham University Durham UK
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García-Martínez I, Pérez-Navío E, Pérez-Ferra M, Quijano-López R. Relationship between Emotional Intelligence, Educational Achievement and Academic Stress of Pre-Service Teachers. Behav Sci (Basel) 2021; 11:95. [PMID: 34201438 PMCID: PMC8301166 DOI: 10.3390/bs11070095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Emotional intelligence (EI) and stress are constructs that often characterize the teaching profession and are inversely related. There is evidence in the literature that suggests the importance of teachers working on EI in order to learn coping strategies and improve their teaching practices. This descriptive and correlational study had the purpose of examining the social-emotional profile of future teachers based on their EI and academic stress levels in order to provide guidance for future stressful situations that will affect their future professional development. For this purpose, we used a random sampling for convenience in a university population enrolled in degrees of education at Andalusian universities (Spain), getting a sample of 1020 pre-service teachers. The results pointed to a superiority in EI, academic stress, and academic achievement in favor of females compared to males. The relationship among EI, academic stress, and student teachers' achievement was demonstrated. Furthermore, some components of EI were positioned as important factors to improve student achievement and reduce academic stress. Once the high incidence of these constructs on academic achievement was confirmed, the importance of developing EI and coping and stress skills training programs, aimed at improving academic success and their subsequent professional development, was demonstrated.
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Dodd RH, Dadaczynski K, Okan O, McCaffery KJ, Pickles K. Psychological Wellbeing and Academic Experience of University Students in Australia during COVID-19. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:866. [PMID: 33498376 PMCID: PMC7908219 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18030866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
COVID-19 has created significant challenges for higher education institutions and major disruptions in teaching and learning. To explore the psychological wellbeing of domestic and international university students during the COVID-19 pandemic, an online cross-sectional survey recruited 787 university students (18+ years) currently studying at an Australian university. In total, 86.8% reported that COVID-19 had significantly impacted their studies. Overall, 34.7% of students reported a sufficient level of wellbeing, while 33.8% showed low wellbeing and 31.5% very low wellbeing. Wellbeing was significantly higher in postgraduate students compared with undergraduate students. Future anxiety was significantly greater among undergraduate than postgraduate students. Multivariable regression models showed female gender, low subjective social status, negative overall learning experience or reporting COVID-19 having a huge impact on study, were associated with lower wellbeing in the first few months (May-July) of the pandemic. Supporting the health, wellbeing, and learning experiences of all students should be of high priority now and post-pandemic. Strategies specifically targeting female students, and those with low self-reported social status are urgently needed to avoid exacerbating existing disparities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachael H. Dodd
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, Australia; (K.J.M.); (K.P.)
| | - Kevin Dadaczynski
- Department of Nursing and Health Science, Fulda University of Applied Sciences, 36037 Fulda, Germany;
- Centre for Applied Health Science, Leuphana University Lueneburg, 21335 Lueneburg, Germany
| | - Orkan Okan
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Health Literacy Research, Bielefeld University, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany;
| | - Kirsten J. McCaffery
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, Australia; (K.J.M.); (K.P.)
| | - Kristen Pickles
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, Australia; (K.J.M.); (K.P.)
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