Depression symptoms and stressful life events among college students in Puerto Rico

The Relationship Between Stressful Life Events and Depressive Symptoms in College Students: mediation by Parenting Style and Gender's Moderating Effect

Aim

Stressful life events have a significant impact on the mental health of college students. Depression, as a prevalent psychological issue, has garnered attention in the field of college student mental health and is closely linked to it. Additionally, parenting style is identified as an important factor influencing the development of college students' mental health. Therefore, this study aims to explore the relationship between these three factors.

Methods

A total of 8079 first-year college students from two medical universities in Shandong Province, China were surveyed. The Beck Depression Inventory was utilized to evaluate depressive symptoms among the college students, while the Adolescent Self-rating Life Events Checklist and the Egna Minnen Beträfande Uppfostran were employed to gather data. Subsequently, the SPSS macro program PROCESS was utilized to analyze both the mediating and moderating effects. All statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS 26.0.

Results

The study found a detection rate of 6.3% for depressive symptoms among college students. The correlation analysis of this study showed that the stressful life events of college students were significantly positively correlated with depressive symptoms (r=0.261, p< 0.01). Each dimension of parenting style was associated with depressive symptoms in different degrees and directions. At the same time, parenting styles of all sizes play a partial mediating role between stressful life events and depressive symptoms in college students, gender plays a crucial regulatory role in this mediation.

Conclusion

Stressful life events experienced by college students have a significant impact on their mental health. Early intervention through positive parenting styles from parents may prove to be beneficial in promoting the development of good mental health among college students.

Physical activity habits prevent psychological distress in female academic students: The multiple mediating role of physical and psychosocial parameters

Background

Psychological distress is recognised as the most common mental health difficulty in emerging adult (18-to-24-year-old) female academic students. This study aimed to test a novel model positing physical activity habits as a protective factor for psychological distress through the mediating role of physical and psychological parameters. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet and self-reported physical health status were included as physical parameters. Self-reported psychological health status and time spent on leisure activities were the psychological parameters considered.

Method

Data were collected between April and May 2021. Correlation analyses and a multiple mediation model were computed on 411 online questionnaires filled out by 18-to-24-year-old female students from the University of blind (Italy).

Results

The multiple indirect effects were significant (β = -0.088; p < 0.001). This means that physical activity habits reduce psychological distress through high adherence to the Mediterranean diet, a good self-assessment of one's physical and psychological health status, and more time spent on leisure activities outdoors, with friends, and with family members.

Conclusions

Results show that academic policies should be adopted so as to design physical activity programmes that may improve the students' healthy behaviours and social interactions, which, in turn, mitigate the detrimental effects of psychological distress.

Mental health status and stressful life events among postgraduate nursing students in Cyprus: a cross-sectional descriptive correlational study

BACKGROUND

Despite prior evidence supporting the association between stressful life events and mental health status, there are limited data on the number and severity of stressful life events and their effects on university students' mental health status. Therefore, the present study aimed to: (a) examine mental health status and subsequent predictors of clinically significant mental distress symptoms, (b) estimate the number and severity of stressful life events, and (c) explore the associations between mental health status, stressful life events (number and severity) and sociodemographic characteristics.

METHODS

This study was descriptive, cross-sectional, and correlational with internal comparisons. A convenience sample of 90 Master of Science in nursing and midwifery students, participated in the study. Participants with a General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) total score ≥ 24 were considered to have clinically significant mental distress symptoms. Descriptive and inferential statistics were evaluated, and Pearson's chi-square test for group differences was used to analyse the data. Analysis of variance and t-tests were used for comparisons between two or more groups, and regression analyses were employed to identify the predictors of GHQ-28 scores and clinical mental distress symptoms.

RESULTS

The final sample comprised 90 students (response rate: 97.8%), 33 (36.7%) of whom reported clinically significant symptoms of mental distress. Students with divorced parents [29.92 (± 10.62), p < .05] scored high on the GHQ-28. Participants who had low/no satisfaction with the education system posted higher scores than participants who had high/very high satisfaction [24.82 (± 11.68) vs. 17.93 (± 9.78), p < .05]. In the subscale measuring depressive symptoms, there was a statistically significant gender difference, with men reporting higher scores than females. [3.0± (3.69) vs. 1.60 (± 2.42), p = .034]. In multiple analyses of sociodemographic characteristics and those who scored higher on the Life Events Scale for Students (LESS) scale (≥ 340), the loss of parent/s was associated with the total GHQ-28 score (B=-17.046, p < .001). In multiple analyses, chronic physical disorders or disabilities and numerous stressful life events among students (≥ 8 events) were correlated with higher overall GHQ-28 scores (B = 15.232, p < .005).

CONCLUSION

The high frequency of clinical symptoms of mental distress among postgraduate university nursing students and their correlation with stressful life events highlights the need for university counselling services to provide psychological support strategies to students.

A serial mediation model of negative life events on school adjustment of left-behind adolescents in rural china: the central role of hope and gratitude

Adjustment difficulties of school students are common and their school adjustment has gained wide concern in recent years. Negative life events (NLEs) hope, and gratitude have been associated with school adjustment. However, the potential effect of NLEs on hope and gratitude and whether hope and gratitude mediate the association between NLEs and school adjustment among high students have not been studied. Thus, this study aims to investigate the association between NLEs, hope and gratitude, and school adjustment in high school students in China. Additionally, the study aims to examine the mediating role of hope and gratitude in the association between NLEs and school adjustment. A total of 700 junior high school students in Guangxi Province (336 boys, 364 girls, M age = 15 years) completed the questionnaire. The results indicated significant mediating effects of hope and gratitude in the sequential positive association between NLEs and school adjustment. Furthermore, this study unraveled the complexity of the link between NLEs and school adjustment with the combination of hope and gratitude. The findings emphasized the importance of fostering hope and gratitude in left-behind adolescents to combat the negative consequences of NLEs. The study is also one of the first to investigate a serial mediation model to determine which NLEs influence Chinese left-behind adolescents' school adjustment.

Does emotion regulation mediate the effect of stressful life events on depressive symptoms in adolescents?

INTRODUCTION

Adolescents' exposure to stressful life events (SLEs) is highly prevalent and increases their risk of developing depression considerably. A small number of studies have addressed the extent to which resilience factors, such as the ability to emotionally regulate, mediate the relationship between SLEs and depression. This study examined whether emotion regulation mediates and significantly attenuates the direct path between SLEs and depressive symptoms in a nonclinical sample of adolescents.

METHOD

A sample of 235 first- and second-year high-school students completed the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, the Risk Factor Questionnaire, and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale. Mean age was 16.9 (SD = 1.8) years, and 65 % (n = 152) of the participants were female. To assess for mediation, a regression-based path analysis approach was used.

RESULTS

SLEs were significantly (t = 5.13, p < 0.001) associated with depressive symptoms, explaining 59.1 % of the total variance. Controlling for the mediation variable (emotion regulation), we found a reduced but statistically significant direct effect (t = 2.87, p = 0.005) between SLEs and depressive symptoms. A statistically significant indirect effect explaining 64.6 % of the total effect demonstrated partial mediation from stressful life events to depressive symptoms via emotion regulation.

LIMITATIONS

Our analyses are based on correlational and cross-sectional data and thus exclude statistical examination of temporal causal relationships, and assessments of whether reported affects are stable over time.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate that interventions that can modify the ability to regulate emotions may help reduce depressive symptoms in at-risk adolescents.

Life events, depression and supportive relationships affect academic achievement in university students

BackgroundStudents often simultaneously deal with shifting support networks, stressful life changes and psychological distress which may affect academic achievement. Methods: 285 students completed the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) to assess depression and the Computerized Life Events Assessment Record (CLEAR), to establish life events and supportive relationships. Module grades were used to measure academic achievement. A general linear model was used with student grade as the dependent variable and life events, depression and supportive relationships as independent variables. Confounding variables included age and sex. Results: A three-way interaction between life events, depression and lack of supportive relationships was found. It indicated the performance of depressed students depended on whether they had supportive relationships and that this interaction also depended on whether they had experienced a life event in the past year. Conclusions: Universities need to provide more support to students with life stress as they transition into university life.

Depressive symptoms and its correlates among medical students in Upper Egypt

Background

Medical students are at high risk of developing depressive symptoms rather than their age-matched group as medical education is stressful and medical students have psychological and academic stressors. The study aimed to estimate the prevalence of depressive symptoms and the most important correlates associated with it among Assiut University Medical Students in the academic year 2019–2020. It is a cross sectional study conducted among 766 medical students at Assiut University in the academic year 2019–2020, screening for depressive symptoms was by patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9).

Results

The mean age of students was 21.27 ± 1.9, 55.5% of them have depressive symptoms. Female students had statistically significantly higher percent of depressive symptoms compared with males (58.9% vs 51.2%), there was statistically significant lower mean socio-economic score among students having depressive symptoms compared to students with no depressive symptoms (5.73 ± 2.46 and 6.22 ± 2.5 respectively). Students having depressive symptoms had higher mean scores of stresses. The multivariable regression revealed that younger age of the students (OR = 0.797; p < 0.001), having a chronic disease (OR = 3.174; P = 0.024), lower life satisfaction score (OR = 0.908; p < 0.001), students with higher medical stress score (OR = 3.596, P < 0.001), and high sense of control score (OR = 2.323; p < 0.001) were the significant correlates of depressive symptoms among medical students.

Conclusions

Female gender, low socio-economic status, having chronic disease, presence of family history of either mental illness or depressive symptoms, low satisfaction with life, higher total medical stressors, and low sense of control were the most important correlates of depressive symptoms among medical students.

A latent class analysis of life stress among female East Asian college students: A multi-country study

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to identify subgroups of East Asian female college students experiencing life stress frequencies, and examine whether a difference in general characteristics existed between the extracted classes.

METHODS

This used a cross-sectional design. Female college students from South Korea (n = 220) and Hong Kong (n = 300) participated in the study. Life stress frequencies using the Life Stress Scale were measured. Latent class analysis as well as binary and multinomial logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the factors associated with extracted classes, and ascertain whether a difference in general characteristics existed between the extracted classes.

RESULTS

South Korean participants were classified into two latent groups: "life stress - high" (18.6%) or "life stress - low" (81.4%). Within the Korean latent groups, subjective health status was significantly associated with group classification. In Hong Kong, participants were classified into three latent groups: "life stress - high" (13.7%), "life stress - moderate" (43.9%), and "life stress - low" (42.4%), and the classified groups were significantly associated with the financial status of participants' parents, subjective health status, and body mass index.

LIMITATIONS

It is difficult to generalize the results to college females in the whole of South Korea and Hong Kong due to the convenience sampling method. Furthermore, further studies using a longitudinal design will be needed to confirm the variables' causal relationship.

CONCLUSIONS

For alleviating the experienced stress frequency, it is important for female college students to have interventions at the family, societal, and national levels, in addition to their individual efforts.

Prevalence of depression and stress among the first year students in Suranaree University of Technology, Thailand

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the level of depression and stress among the first-year students at Suranaree University of Technology (SUT) and to compare the level of depression and stress among the samples, classified by demographic factors, including gender, domicile, and problem. This research has been approved by the SUT's Research Ethics Committee. The study period was between July and August 2018. The online, self-report questionnaire was used as a research instrument to collect data from the sample of SUT first-year students. The total number of first-year students at SUT was 3,552 and the response rate was 65.15%. The major findings revealed that 7.0% and 51.1% of them were suffering from depression, and pathological stress, respectively. In addition, the prevalence of depression and pathological stress was higher in female samples than in other gender groups. The findings would suggest that related activities should be organized to promote students' awareness of their suffering and self-control in order to prevent further depression and pathological stress.

Dissolution of Non-cohabiting Relationships and Changes in Life Satisfaction and Mental Health

This study investigates how individuals’ life satisfaction and depression are affected by the dissolution of a steady non-cohabiting intimate relationship. Previous studies have focused more on the consequences of divorce and less on the influence of non-cohabiting relationships on the well-being of the individual. The data for this study were taken from pairfam, a large-scale German panel survey, and were used to estimate fixed-effects panel regression models and impact functions to identify the overall effect of dissolution and trajectories after separation. The study sample comprised 2,631 individuals who were observed over the course of 11,219 partnership years. Based on the results of this study, three main findings were reported. First, the dissolution of a non-cohabiting relationship led to a significant decline in mental health and life satisfaction. Second, the trajectories after dissolution suggest that the decline was only temporary, showing readjustment after 1 year. Third, gender differences were identified, suggesting worse consequences for men who experienced a significant decline in both dimensions and did not readjust in life satisfaction until several years after the dissolution. For women, decreases were only found for life satisfaction, but quick readjustments were observed.

Yoga and meditation, an essential tool to alleviate stress and enhance immunity to emerging infections: A perspective on the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on students

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has negatively impacted the global healthcare and economic systems worldwide. The COVID-19 pandemic has also created an emotional and psychological pandemic among people of all ages irrespective of economic status and physical wellbeing. As a consequence of prolonged lockdowns, one of the most severely affected age groups globally is the young adults' group, especially students. Uncertainties in the academic calendar, restricted outdoor activities, and unusual daily routines during lockdowns led to higher incidences of stress, anxiety, and depression among students worldwide. In this review, we summarise the available evidence on the effect of lockdowns on students and discuss possible positive impacts of yoga and meditation on various psychological, emotional, and immunological parameters, which can significantly influence the general wellbeing and academic performance of students. Perspectives shared in the review will also bring awareness on how yoga and meditation could boost students' performance and assist them in maintaining physical and mental wellbeing during stressful conditions such as future epidemics and pandemics with novel infections. This information could help create better educational curriculums and healthy routines for students.

Lifestyle-related behaviors and depressive symptoms in college students

This study sought to examine the association between lifestyle-related behaviors and depressive symptoms among college students. This cross-sectional study analyzed baseline data of a dynamic-cohort study from a public university in Central-Western Brazil, in all 21 undergraduate full-time courses. Students up to 25 years old who were enrolled for the first time in a university were included in the study, except pregnant and/or nursing women. All students who met the eligibility criteria were invited to participate in the study. From a total of 1,212 eligible students, 1,038 were included (85.6%). All participants answered a self-administered questionnaire on smoking, alcohol consumption, screen time, sleep duration, and meal patterns. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Multivariate Poisson regression models stratified by sex were used to estimate the associations. Depressive symptoms was observed in 31.6% (males 23.6%; females 39.9%; p-value chi-square test = 0.01) of the students. Smoking, drinking spirits, and having irregular meal habits were directly associated with depressive symptoms in both males and females. The co-occurrence of two risk behaviors (men: aPR = 2.23, 95%CI: 1.25; 3.99; women: aPR = 1.54, 95%CI: 1.03; 2.30) and three or more risk behaviors (men: aPR = 3.42, 95%CI: 1.90; 6.16; women: aPR = 2.09, 95%CI: 1.39; 3.15) increased the occurrence of depressive symptoms among the students. Lifestyle-related unhealthy behaviors were associated with an increased occurrence of depressive symptoms among college students. These findings suggest the need of interventions encouraging changes in lifestyle to promote mental health and to improve the quality of life in this group.

Depression in Bangladeshi university students: The role of sociodemographic, personal, and familial psychopathological factors

PURPOSE

Although depression has adverse effects on all aspects of university students' quality of life, fewer studies have been conducted in Bangladesh; which was investigated herein. DESIGN AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out among 1844 students enrolled at the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Hierarchical regression analyses were performed to investigate the explanatory power of the variables predicting depression in this population.

FINDINGS

Depression prevalence was 28.7%; and female gender, first-year student status, substance use, past-year physical and psychological illness, stressful life events, family psychiatric history, and personal suicidal behaviors were the main risk factors. The final model considering all the studied variables explained 23.5% of the variance in depression. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Effective psychological help services, awareness and intervention programs, and so on, should be implemented to reduce students' psychological burdens.

Impact of thriving at work on eustress and distress: career growth as mediator

Purpose

Thriving at work can affect eustress and distress differently, so the main purpose of this study is to determine the impact of thriving at work on stress and to extend the existing literature on stress by examining the mediating mechanism of career growth, which is one of the functions of human resource development, in the relationship between thriving at work and stress. Person environment fit theory is used to explain the framework.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 179 employees of the hospitality sector of Pakistan to assess the impact of thriving at work on eustress and distress through the mediation of career growth. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

Results revealed thriving at work is positively related to eustress whereas it is negatively related to distress, and there is a positive association between thriving and career growth. Furthermore, career growth appeared as an effective explanatory mechanism for relationships between thriving at work and stress. Implications for managers are also discussed.

Originality/value

This study encompasses both positive and negative stressors. There are lots of studies available that examine thriving at work and stress, but the present study aims to examine the impact of thriving on both aspects of stress in the presence of career growth as the mediator in the hospitality sector of Pakistan. It also opens new avenues for research on P-E fit theory to gain benefit from the eustress of employees.

Prevalence and correlates of lifestyle behavior, anxiety and depression in Chinese college freshman: A cross-sectional survey

Objectives

First-year college students had exposure to unhealthy lifestyle behaviors that correlate with a high prevalence of anxiety and depression. Regarding to the modifiable lifestyle behaviors factors, this study investigated the prevalence and correlation of multiple lifestyle behaviors, anxiety and depression in a sample of Chinese first-year college students.

Methods

Cross-sectional data were extracted from Residents eHealth app of health lifestyle behaviors survey from September to October 2019. Anxiety, depression, eating regular meals, consumption of snacks in-between meals, consumption of fruit, dessert and sugar-sweetened beverages, smoking and secondhand smoke exposure, consuming alcohol, physical activity, sedentary time were assessed by self-report. Socio-demographic including age, gender, education, family income, religion, and health condition were captured. Logistic regression was used to explore the association of multiple lifestyle behaviors, anxiety and depression.

Results

Totally 1,017 participants were included in the study. The prevalence of anxiety and depression (from mild to severe) were 40.3% and 45.3%, respectively. In multivariable analyses, religion (believe in Buddhism, OR = 2.438, 95%CI: 1.097-5.421; believe in Christian, OR = 5.886, 95%CI: 1.604-21.597), gender (Female, OR = 1.405, 95%CI: 1.001-1.971), secondhand smoke exposure (OR = 1.089, 95%CI: 1.001-1.184), and eating regular meals (OR = 0.513, 95%CI: 0.346-0.759) were associated with anxiety. Family income (OR = 0.732, 95%CI: 0.596-0.898), eating regular meals (OR = 0.641, 95%CI: 0.415-0.990), frequency of breakfast (OR = 0.813, 95%CI: 0.690-0.959), with a chronic disease (OR = 1.902, 95%CI: 1.335-2.712), and consumption of nocturnal snack (OR = 1.337, 95%CI: 1.108-1.612) were associated with depression.

Conclusions

These results highlighted the need for early lifestyle behavior intervention, especially modifying diet patterns considering the background of religion, health condition, and social-economic status in first-year college students to improve their mental health.

To Be or Not to Be Flexible: Selective impairments as a means to differentiate between depression and PTSD symptoms

During the course of their lives, most individuals experience at least one potentially traumatic event. For some individuals this experience may result in them developing depression and/or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. The aim of the present study was to test the interactive effect of traumatic exposure and impaired cognitive flexibility on the tendency to develop either depression or PTSD symptoms. Eighty-two college students (M age = 25.32, SD age = 4.09) were assessed for exposure to traumatic events, depressive and PTSD symptoms. In addition, they completed a performance-based learning paradigm to evaluate the unique patterns of cognitive flexibility, defined as reduced and enhanced updating of prior knowledge in the face of new information. We predicted and found that for individuals with reduced updating, greater exposure to trauma was associated with elevated depressive symptoms. Contrary to our prediction, for individuals with enhanced updating, greater exposure was associated with elevated PTSD symptoms. While cognitive flexibility is traditionally associated with adaptive outcomes, our results illuminate the important role of a delicate updating balance to adaptively cope with aversive life events. The findings highlight the possible different roles of cognitive flexibility in the development of psychopathology and may serve as a first step toward developing tailored prevention and treatment methods.

College student mental health risks during the COVID-19 pandemic: Implications of campus relocation

PURPOSE

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many universities evacuated their campuses, requiring students to vacate on campus residences. The psychological outcomes of students who relocated during the pandemic remains unknown. We examined mandated relocation experiences related to self-reported worry, grief, loneliness, and depressive, generalized anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

We analyzed cross-sectional survey data obtained from April 9 to August 4, 2020 on 791 young adults (ages 18-30 years) who were enrolled at a U.S. university. The CARES 2020 Project (COVID-19 Adult Resilience Experiences Study) is an online survey of young adults' mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Recruitment relied on snowball sampling. Participants were asked if they were required to relocate from campus and among those who did, their experiences in moving. COVID-19-related worry and grief, loneliness, and depressive, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms were assessed.

RESULTS

Approximately one-third of students reported being mandated to relocate. Students mandated to relocate reported more COVID-19-related grief, loneliness, and generalized anxiety symptoms compared to those who did not even after controlling for the severity level of local COVID-19 outbreaks. Students who had to leave behind valuable personal belongings reported more COVID-19-related worries, grief, and depressive, generalized anxiety, and PTSD symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Students who were mandated to relocate reported worse psychological outcomes compared to students who were not mandated to relocate. Our findings have implications for addressing the psychological impact of evacuating college campuses during public health emergencies and other disasters.

Investigating the Factors Affecting Depression By Using Structural Equation Modeling

The objective of the research was to study the factors affecting depression in general population. Materials and Methods. A total of 1,291 individuals at the age of 15-68 years participated in this cross-sectional study. The Demographic Information Form, the Beck Depression Inventory for Primary Care and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale were used as data collection tools. The data obtained were evaluated in the SPSS 23 package program. Missing data were validated for extreme values, and, then, tested for normality and homogeneity. Testing for the research model was implemented by structural equation modeling using the AMOS program. Results. The following goodness-of-fit values were determined for the revised model predicting the factors influencing depression: χ2 = 535.62, χ2/df = 4.74, the normed fit index = 0.95, the Tucker-Lewis index = 0.95, the comparative fit index = 0.96, the goodness-of-fit index = 0.95, the adjusted goodness-of-fit index = 0.94, the root-mean-square error of approximation = 0.05, the root mean square residual = 0.12, which were within acceptable limits. According to our model, the generalized anxiety disorder-7 (t = 15.923; p < 0.001), gender (t = -5.866; p < 0.001), age (t = -8.193; p < 0.001) and marital status (t = -6.107; p < 0.001) had a significant effect on depression. However, there was no significant relationship between depression score and educational status, place of residence, family type, and smoking. Conclusions. In this model of our study, generalized anxiety disorder was found to have the greatest effect on depression, followed by age, marital status, and gender, respectively.

Development and validation of a questionnaire for evaluating knowledge of risk factors for teen depression among health care trainees of a Nigerian university

INTRODUCTION

Increasing knowledge of factors predisposing individuals to depression appears to be an important preventive strategy. However, there is no validated instrument for evaluating knowledge of risk factors for depression among adolescents. Therefore, we aimed to develop and validate a questionnaire to assess knowledge of risk factors for teen depression.

METHODS

Extensive literature search and expert consultations were carefully conducted. The content, face, and convergent validity of the prefinal Knowledge of Risk Factors for Teen Depression Questionnaire (KRFD-Q) were performed. The Cronbach's alpha and test-retest reliability of KRFD-Q were conducted. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to delineate the final items into distinct clusters. Participants' demographic characteristics were presented using descriptive statistics. All analyses were performed using SPSS version 20.

RESULTS

A total of 17 items were generated after an extensive literature search and expert consultations. Two items were considered as repetitions and thus deleted. The overall Cronbach's alpha of KRFD-Q was 0.72. Test-retest reliability (r = 0.83, P < .0001) and convergent validity (r = 0.61, P = .034) were satisfactory. The corrected item-total correlation of KRFD-Q ranged from 0.13 to 0.45. The EFA identified three factors, (1) family abuse, stress, and self-criticism (7 items), (2) social/relationship factors (5 items), and (3) genetic and economic factors (3 items).

DISCUSSION

The findings of this study demonstrate that 15-item KRFD-Q developed is satisfactorily valid and reliable to measure the knowledge of risk factors for teen depression among university undergraduate students.

Effects of Self-Regulation vs. External Regulation on the Factors and Symptoms of Academic Stress in Undergraduate Students

The SRL vs. ERL theory has shown that the combination of levels of student self-regulation and regulation from the teaching context produces linear effects on achievement emotions and coping strategies. However, a similar effect on stress factors and symptoms of university students has not yet been demonstrated. The aim of this study was to test this prediction. It was hypothesized that the level of student self-regulation (low/medium/high), in interaction with the level of external regulation from teaching (low/medium/high), would also produce a linear effect on stress factors and symptoms of university students. A total of 527 undergraduate students completed validated questionnaires about self-regulation, regulatory teaching, stress factors, and symptoms. Using an ex post facto design by selection, ANOVAs and MANOVAs (3 × 3; 5 × 1; 5 × 2) were carried out. The results confirmed that the level of self-regulation and the level of regulatory teaching jointly determined the level of stress factors and symptoms of university students. Once again, a five-level heuristic of possible combinations was configured to jointly determine university students’ level of academic stress. We concluded that the combination of different levels of student regulation and regulation from the teaching process jointly determines university students’ level of academic stress. The implications for university students’ emotional health, stress prevention, and well-being are established.

Predictors for depression and perceived stress among a small island developing state university population

The prevalence of depression remains particularly high among university students. Factors known to be associated with this high burden range from social to poor academic performance. Thus, this study sought to determine the prevalence and predictors of depression and perceived stress among university students attending a Caribbean university. This was a cross-sectional study involving 800 students. Depression was assessed using the 21-item Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and perceived stress was assessed using the Cohen Perceived Stress Scale. Logistic regression models were used to examine the relationship between predictors on depression and perceived stress. The BDI score was 11.97 ± 8.77 with a prevalence of depression at 25.88% and perceived stress of 57.50%. Living or associating with family and friends, were significant predictors of depression while school, money and associating with family/friends were significant for perceived stress. Talking with someone and exercise were associated with a lower likelihood of depression, while eating, drinking alcohol and shopping were associated with reduced levels of perceived stress. The level of depression and perceived high stress in this populations was moderate compared to similar international populations. These findings can be used to inform and design future interventions to improve the mental health of university students.

State and Trait Anxiety Among University Students: A Moderated Mediation Model of Negative Affectivity, Alexithymia, and Housing Conditions

Objective

Starting university education is a crucial period for the mental health of students, who report higher levels of distress compared to the general population. This study sought to better understand the distress experienced by students by considering contextual facets (e.g., housing conditions) as well as stable clinical variables (e.g., negative affectivity, emotion regulation, and anxiety).

Methods

A total of 177 University students (71.2% females) aged 18-29 were administered the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Y, the Beck Depression Inventory-II, the Suicidal History Self-Rating Screening Scale, the Personality Inventory for DSM-5-Brief Form, and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20.

Results

University students showed concerning levels of distress, particularly concerning anxiety, and depression. We found that the relationship between negative affectivity and both state and trait anxiety was mediated by alexithymia but housing conditions did not act as a moderator for the indirect effect of negative affectivity on state or trait anxiety through alexithymia.

Conclusion

Undoubtedly, university lifestyle can be demanding, but experiencing distress is not inevitable nor inexplicable. The present study sought to gain insight into the anxiety experienced by Italian University students while taking into account the importance of personality and clinical characteristics that have previously been widely underestimated. We found that these characteristics can be of extreme importance for developing preventative and therapeutic interventions tailored to the clinical characteristics of students, as well taking into account their living environment.

Social determinants associated with the quality of life of baccalaureate nursing students: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

There is a paucity of studies that have explored the quality of life (QoL) of nursing students in the Philippines.

OBJECTIVES

The study assessed the QoL and identified the social determinants associated with the four domains of QoL among nursing students.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted among 444 randomly selected baccalaureate nursing students in a university in the Philippines. The QoL was determined using an adapted WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire (∝ = 0.89). Multiple linear regression determined the association between the variables of the study.

RESULTS

The students exhibited better scores in social relationships and environment than psychological and physical health domains of QoL. Physical health was significantly correlated to sex, hours of sleep, and medical condition, whereas sex, year level, academic load, hours of sleep, and medical condition were correlated to psychological domain. However, no significant association was noted between the factors and social relationships, but monthly allowance was positively correlated with the environment domain.

CONCLUSIONS

Various social determinants influence the QoL; thus, it is essential to be considered as a critical element in planning the curriculum to improve the QoL among baccalaureate students.

The relationship between childhood adversity, recent stressors, and depression in college students attending a South African university

BACKGROUND

College students are at risk of depression. This risk may be increased by the experience of childhood adversity and/or recent stressors. This study examined the association between reported experiences of childhood adversity, recent stressors and depression during the last 12 months in a cohort of South African university students.

METHODS

Six hundred and eighty-six first year students at Stellenbosch University in South Africa completed a health-focused e-survey that included items on childhood adversity, recent stressors and mood. Individual and population attributable risk proportions (PARP) between experiences of childhood adversity and 12-month stressful experiences and 12-month depression were estimated using multivariate binomial logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

About one in six students reported depression during the last 12 months. Being a victim of bullying and emotional abuse or emotional neglect during childhood were the strongest predictors of depression in the past year at both individual and population level. With regard to recent stressors, a romantic partner being unfaithful, serious ongoing arguments or break-ups with some other close friend or family member and a sexual or gender identity crisis were the strongest predictors of depression. The predictor effect of recent stressors was significantly reduced in the final model that adjusted for the type and number of childhood traumatic experiences. At a population level, academic stress, serious ongoing arguments or break-ups with a close friend or family member, and serious betrayal by someone close were the variables that yielded the highest PARP.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest a significant relationship between early adversity, recent stressors, and depression here and throughout, consistent with the broader literature on predictors of depression. This study contributes to the limited data on college students' mental health in low and middle income countries including on the African continent. The findings provide information on the population level effect sizes of trauma as a risk factor for depression, as well as on the relationship between specific recent stressors and depression in college students.

Major and minor life events, personality and psychopathology in children with tourette syndrome

Environmental, psychological, and biological interactions underlie many psychopathologies. Tourette's Syndrome (TS) has an obvious biological substrate but environmental factors and personality play substantial roles in its expression. We aimed to study the interrelationships between stressful life events, personality traits, tics, and comorbid disorders in children with TS. To this end, 132 children with TS and 49 healthy controls were recruited for the study. Major life events in the 12-months prior to testing and minor life events in the month prior to testing were retrospectively assessed using the Life Experiences Survey (LES) and the Brief Adolescent Life Events Scale (BALES), respectively. Personality was assessed with the Junior Temperament and Character Inventory (JTCI). Tics, obsessive compulsive symptoms, attention deficit and hyperactivity symptoms, anxiety, depression and aggression were assessed by self-report questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. We found that major life events correlated with the severity of tics expression and complexity, and comorbid psychopathology. Minor life events correlated with more severe symptomatology. High levels of harm avoidance were related to more obsessions, anxiety, and depression whereas high levels of self-directedness were protective. To conclude, TS expression in childhood should be understood as the result of an interaction between biological, personality and environmental factors.

Association of Stressful Life Events with Psychological Problems: A Large-Scale Community-Based Study Using Grouped Outcomes Latent Factor Regression with Latent Predictors

Objective

The current study is aimed at investigating the association between stressful life events and psychological problems in a large sample of Iranian adults.

Method

In a cross-sectional large-scale community-based study, 4763 Iranian adults, living in Isfahan, Iran, were investigated. Grouped outcomes latent factor regression on latent predictors was used for modeling the association of psychological problems (depression, anxiety, and psychological distress), measured by Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), as the grouped outcomes, and stressful life events, measured by a self-administered stressful life events (SLEs) questionnaire, as the latent predictors.

Results

The results showed that the personal stressors domain has significant positive association with psychological distress (β = 0.19), anxiety (β = 0.25), depression (β = 0.15), and their collective profile score (β = 0.20), with greater associations in females (β = 0.28) than in males (β = 0.13) (all P < 0.001). In addition, in the adjusted models, the regression coefficients for the association of social stressors domain and psychological problems profile score were 0.37, 0.35, and 0.46 in total sample, males, and females, respectively (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Results of our study indicated that different stressors, particularly those socioeconomic related, have an effective impact on psychological problems. It is important to consider the social and cultural background of a population for managing the stressors as an effective approach for preventing and reducing the destructive burden of psychological problems.

The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D): Measurement equivalence across gender groups in Hispanic college students

BACKGROUND

This study examined among Hispanic college students the factor structure and gender measurement invariance of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale. The CES-D's original 20 item four-factor model was compared to a recently proposed 14 item, three-factor model.

METHODS

Participants included 858 Hispanic undergraduates at an ethnically diverse, major research, urban, public university in the Southwest United States (U.S.). Multigroup confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) and structural equation modeling were used to examine the factor structure, gender invariance, and construct validity of the CES-D scores.

RESULTS

Multigroup CFAs provided support for full configural and metric invariance and partial scalar invariance for the three-factor model across gender groups. Two of the 14 items (#3 and #18) demonstrated different thresholds; women scored higher than men in both items. The pattern of latent correlations of the three depression factors to four stress variables (college academic, social, financial and discrimination stress) demonstrated configural, metric and scalar invariance across gender groups.

LIMITATIONS

About two thirds of the participants were women and most were of Mexican descent and had been born in the U.S. Therefore, findings may not generalize to more gender balanced samples and students from other Latin American countries or immigration generational status.

CONCLUSIONS

Partial scalar invariance in two items may not have a strong impact in the calculation of the overall depression score. Given evidence for functional invariance, results provide support for the use of the14-item, three-factor CES-D scale to assess depression symptoms among Hispanic college students.

Social determinants of depression and suicidal behaviour in the Caribbean: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Depressive disorder is the largest contributor to years lived with disability in the Caribbean, adding 948 per 100,000 in 2013. Depression is also a major risk factor for suicidal behaviour. Social inequalities influence the occurrence of depression, yet little is known about the social inequalities of this condition in the Caribbean. In support of the 2011 Rio Political Declaration on addressing health inequities, this article presents a systematic review of the role of social determinants on depression and its suicidal behaviours in the Caribbean.

METHODS

Eight databases were searched for observational studies reporting associations between social determinants and depression frequency, severity, or outcomes. Based on the PROGRESS-plus checklist, we considered 9 social determinant groups (of 15 endpoints) for 6 depression endpoints, totalling 90 possible ways ('relationship groups') to explore the role of social determinants on depression. Studies with ≥50 participants conducted in Caribbean territories between 2004 and 2014 were eligible. The review was conducted according to STROBE and PRISMA guidelines. Results were planned as a narrative synthesis, with meta-analysis if possible.

RESULTS

From 3951 citations, 55 articles from 45 studies were included. Most were classified as serious risk of bias. Fifty-seven relationship groups were reported by the 55 included articles, leaving 33 relationship groups (37%) without an evidence base. Most associations were reported for gender, age, residence, marital status, and education. Depression, its severity, and its outcomes were more common among females (except suicide which was more common among males), early and middle adolescents (among youth), and those with lower levels of education. Marriage emerged as both a risk and protective factor for depression score and prevalence, while several inequality relationships in Haiti were in contrast to typical trends.

CONCLUSION

The risk of bias and few numbers of studies within relationship groups restricted the synthesis of Caribbean evidence on social inequalities of depression. Along with more research focusing on regional social inequalities, attempts at standardizing reporting guidelines for observational studies of inequality and studies examining depression is necessitated. This review offers as a benchmark to prioritize future research into the social determinants of depression frequency and outcomes in the Caribbean.

Relación entre depresión y rasgos de personalidad en jóvenes y adultos con conducta intencional suicida de Ibagué, Colombia

Introducción. La conducta intencional suicida es una de las condiciones médicas más preocupantes y peligrosas en el mundo. Se presume que por cada muerte autoinfligida, se presentan alrededor de 20 intentos de suicidio.Objetivo. Identificar la relación entre depresión y rasgos de personalidad en personas con intento de suicidio.Materiales y métodos. Estudio correlacional de corte transversal en el que participaron 25 personas entre 18 y 40 años de edad, quienes intentaron suicidarse durante el 2014 y 2015 en Ibagué, Colombia. Se empleó una ficha de datos sociodemográficos, el cuestionario “Big Five” y el Inventario de depresión Estado-Rasgo.Resultados. Se evidencia que en los participantes existen correlaciones significativas de carácter negativo, por un lado, entre la subdimensión de la personalidad, el control de emociones y la depresión como estado y, por el otro, entre esta misma subdimensión y la distimia como estado. Esto sugiere que a mayor depresión como estado o como rasgo, menor estabilidad emocional. Otras correlaciones identificadas aluden a una relación moderada entre la dimensión de la personalidad, la estabilidad emocional y la depresión.Conclusión. Las variables empleadas (depresión y estabilidad emocional) cobran gran importancia al momento de diseñar acciones preventivas en salud.

The mediating role of emotional intelligence between negative life events and psychological distress among nursing students: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have highlighted that negative life events and emotional intelligence are significant predictors of mental health. However, whether emotional intelligence mediates the relationship between negative life events and psychological distress among nursing students have not been given adequate attention.

OBJECTIVES

To explore the relationship among negative life events, emotional intelligence and psychological distress and to examine the mediating role of emotional intelligence in psychological distress among Chinese nursing students.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional survey using convenience sampling.

SETTINGS AND PARTICIPANTS

A total of 467 nursing students who were enrolled in a university in mainland of China.

METHODS

A structured questionnaire was administered from September-November in 2013 to participants who consented to participate in the study. Independent variables were personal variables, emotional intelligence and negative life events. Outcome variable was psychological health. The means and standard deviations were computed. Student's t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were performed, to test the differences among the demographic characteristics on the psychological distress scores. Pearson correlation analyses and hierarchical regression analyses were performed.

RESULTS

Negative life events were positively associated with psychological distress. Emotional intelligence was negatively associated with psychological distress and negative life events. Emotional intelligence mediated the relationship between negative life events and psychological distress.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings support the theory of Salovey and his colleagues, and provide evidence for emotional intelligence as a factor that buffers effects of negative life events on psychological distress.

Ethnic Variables and Negative Life Events as Predictors of Depressive Symptoms and Suicidal Behaviors in Latino College Students

In the present study, we examined ethnic variables (viz., multigroup ethnic identity and other group orientation) along with negative life events as predictors of depressive symptoms and suicidal behaviors in a sample of 156 (38 male and 118 female) Latino college students. Results of conducting hierarchical regression analyses indicated that the set of ethnic variables accounted for significant variance in both depressive symptoms and suicidal behaviors. The inclusion of negative life events was found to account for significant additional variance in both outcomes, beyond what was accounted for by ethnic variables. Interestingly, beyond main effects, results indicated a significant Other Group Orientation × Negative Life Events interaction effect to account for additional variance in depressive symptoms and suicidal behaviors. Some implications of the present findings are discussed, including the potential value for Latinos to broaden their attitudes and interactions with other ethnic groups.

Negative life events and school adjustment among Chinese nursing students: The mediating role of psychological capital

BACKGROUND

Adjustment difficulties of college students are common and their school adjustment has gained wide concern in recent years. Negative life events and psychological capital (PsyCap) have been associated with school adjustment. However, the potential impact of negative life events on PsyCap, and whether PsyCap mediates the relationship between negative life events and school adjustment among nursing students have not been studied.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the relationship among negative life events, PsyCap, and school adjustment among five-year vocational high school nursing students in China and the mediating role of PsyCap between negative life events and school adjustment.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional survey design was conducted.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTINGS

643 five-year vocational high school nursing students were recruited from three public high vocational colleges in Shandong of China.

METHODS

Adolescent Self-Rating Life Event Checklist (ASLEC), the Psychological Capital Questionnaire for Adolescent Students scale (PCQAS), and the Chinese College Student Adjustment Scale (CCSAS) were used in this study. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were performed to explore the mediating role of PsyCap.

RESULTS

Negative life events were negatively associated with the dimensions of school adjustment (interpersonal relationship adaptation, learning adaptation, campus life adaptation, career adaptation, emotional adaptation, self-adaptation, and degree of satisfaction). PsyCap was positively associated with the dimensions of school adjustment and negatively associated with negative life events. PsyCap partially mediated the relationship between negative life events and school adjustment.

CONCLUSIONS

Negative life events may increase the risk of school maladjustment in individuals with low PsyCap. Interventions designed to increase nursing students' PsyCap might buffer the stress of adverse life events, and thereby, enhance students' positive adjustment to school.

Depressive symptoms and social demographic, stress and health risk behaviour among university students in 26 low-, middle- and high-income countries

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and association between depressive symptoms, sociodemographic, social and health risk variables among undergraduate students in 26 low, middle and high income countries.

METHOD

Using anonymous questionnaires, data were collected from 20222 undergraduate university students (mean age 20.8, SD = 2.8) from 27 universities in 26 countries in Africa, Asia, Caribbean and Latin America.

RESULTS

Overall study participants had a prevalence of 24.0 % moderate and 12.8 % severe depressive symptoms. In multivariate logistic regression, demographic and social variables (being female gender, low organised religious activity, lack of social support and lack of personal control), stressful or traumatic life events (sexual violence and physical child abuse) and health risk behaviour (tobacco use, insufficient brushing of teeth, irregular sleep duration, increased salt intake, infrequent meals a day, heavy internet use and having sustained an injury) were associated with severe depressive symptoms.

CONCLUSION

High rates of depressive symptoms were found. Several risk factors including social and health risk behaviour variables were identified which can be utilised in guiding interventions.

The prevalence and socio-demographic correlates of depressive symptoms among Cypriot university students: a cross-sectional descriptive co-relational study

BACKGROUND

Previous findings in the literature suggest that the occurrence of depressive symptoms among university students is associated with specific socio-demographic characteristics. No related research studies have been conducted among university students in Cyprus. The current study aims to add more evidence to the literature by estimating the prevalence of clinical depressive symptoms and their association with individual, parental, academic and health-related behavior characteristics.

METHODS

A descriptive cross sectional study with internal comparison was performed. The occurrence of depressive symptoms was assessed by the Center for Epidemiology Studies - Depression Scale (CES-D). Clinical depressive symptoms were reported as CES-D values ≥ 20. The socio-demographic and other characteristics of the participants were assessed using a questionnaire specifically designed for the present study. Both questionnaires were completed anonymously and voluntarily by 1,500 students (29.9% males and 70.1% females, response rate 85%).

RESULTS

The prevalence of clinical depressive symptoms [CES-D score ≥ 20] was 27.9%. Among other, strong positive associations with clinical depressive symptoms were observed with a) positive personal and family history of depression (OR 2.85, 95% CI: 1.77 - 4.60), b) self -assessed poor physical and mental health (OR 11.30, 95% CI: 7.05 - 18.08). Moreover, students with learning disabilities, as well as those who were dissatisfied with the major under study, the quality of the educational system, the living arrangement, their social life and the available university facilities (OR 2.73, 95% CI: 2.00 - 3.72) were more likely to report clinical depressive symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of the present study highlight specific individual, parental, academic and health-related behavior characteristics of the students associated with the presence of depressive symptoms. Thus, targeted interventions considering the socio-demographic profile of vulnerable students for early recognition and manifestation of mental health disturbances may be designed. Moreover, the relatively high prevalence of clinical symptoms of depression within this particular cultural context may warrant further investigation in longitudinal studies.

The association between stressful life events and depressive symptoms among Cypriot university students: a cross-sectional descriptive correlational study

Background

Previous findings suggest that stressful life events have a causal relationship with depressive symptoms. However, to date little is known concerning the contribution of the number and severity of recent stressful life events on the prevalence of depressive symptoms among university students. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of depressive symptoms and its association with the number and the severity of self-reported stressful life events among university students in Cyprus.

Methods

A descriptive correlational design with cross sectional comparison was used. The CES-D scale was applied for the assessment of depressive symptoms and the LESS instrument for stressful life events. Both scales were completed anonymously and voluntarily by 1.500 students (response rate 85%).

Results

The prevalence of mild to moderate depressive symptoms [CES-D score between 16 and 21] and of clinically significant depressive symptoms [CES-D score ≥ 22] were 18.8% and 25.3% respectively. There were statistically significant differences in clinically significant depressive symptoms by gender, with higher rates among women (x² = 8.53, df = 1, p = 0.003). Higher scores on the LESS scale were associated with more frequent reports of clinical depressive symptoms (x² = 70.63, df = 4, p < 0.001). Similarly, an association was found between the number of life events and clinical depressive symptoms (x² = 40.06, df = 4, p < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis after adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics confirmed that the responders who reported a high number (n = 12–21) of stressful life events during the previous year (OR = 2.64 95% CI: 1.02, 6.83) and a severe degree of stress due to these events (total LESS score > 351, OR = 3.03 95% CI: 1.66, 5.39) were more likely to manifest clinical depressive symptoms.

Conclusions

The high frequency of occurrence of depressive symptoms among Cypriot university students, as well as the strong association with stressful life events, highlights the need for psychological empowerment strategies towards students by institutional counseling services.

Life events in bipolar patients: a comparative study with siblings and healthy controls

BACKGROUND

While many studies have focused on life events in depressive disorders, data regarding them in bipolar disorder are scant. The aim of this work was to explore the characteristics of life events in bipolar patients.

METHODS

Sixty bipolar patients have been included in our study. The evaluation focused on the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics with a standardized measurement of life events using Paykel's interview. The results were compared with those of siblings and healthy controls groups. The three groups were matched for age and sex.

RESULTS

Compared to the controls, bipolar patients and their siblings had a higher global score of life events and more events in the fields of work, socio-family events and health. Bipolar patients reported more desirable events compared with their siblings and controls. The siblings reported higher scores of uncontrollable and undesirable events than patients and controls, and a higher score of controllable events than patients.

LIMITATIONS

The Paykel's interview has no validated Tunisian version, which could be a methodological bias in the assessment of life events. Moreover, the assessment of the life events was made during the euthymic phase of the bipolar disorder; however, there was no standardized measure of mood symptoms, to confirm this euthymia.

CONCLUSION

Our findings could help in the identification of the etiopathogeny of bipolar disorder and would contribute to improve the understanding and management of these patients focusing on the psychosocial aspect which is often overlooked.