Problem gambling and help seeking among Chinese international students: narratives of place identity transformation

Prevalence of university non-continuation and mental health conditions, and effect of mental health conditions on non-continuation: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

University non-continuation, also termed as university dropout in literature, is a concern for institutions. Elevated stress levels, mental distress, and psychiatric issues affect academic performance and thus may contribute to non-continuation. There is a lack of systematic reviews exploring the link between mental health and university non-continuation.

AIM

This systematic review aims to bridge this gap, by investigating the prevalence of non-continuation and mental health conditions among university students, and the impact of mental health on university non-continuation.

METHODS

Following PRISMA guidelines this review synthesized data from 67 studies, utilising both narrative synthesis and meta-analytic techniques.

RESULTS

The results revealed that the included studies reported a range of university non-continuation rates (5.9% to 43.6%) with a pooled prevalence of 17.9%, 95% CI [14.2%, 22.3%]. The prevalence of mental health concerns among students varied widely (2.2% to 83.6%), with a pooled prevalence of 26.3%, 95% CI [16.0%, 40.0%]. Depression, OR = 1.143 (95% CI [1.086, 1.203] p<.001), stress, OR = 1.413 (95% CI [1.106, 1.805], p=.006), and other mental health conditions, OR = 1.266 (95% CI [1.133, 1.414], p<.001), were associated with higher non-continuation.

CONCLUSION

Some mental health conditions elevate non-continuation risks, and addressing mental health may enhance student retention in higher education.

Gambling Behaviour, Problem Gambling and Reasons for Gambling Among International Students in Tasmania, Australia

Individuals who undertake tertiary study outside their home countries ("international students") may be at increased risk of problem gambling behaviour. To inform this issue, we examined gambling behaviour, problem gambling behaviour and reasons for gambling among international students, primarily from Asian countries, attending university in Tasmania, Australia. Online surveys that included established measures of each outcome were completed by these students (n = 382) along with a comparison group of domestic students (n = 1013). While most forms of gambling assessed were less common among international students than among domestic students, rates of problem gambling were higher among international students (2.6%) than among domestic (1.4%) students. Further, whereas rates of problem gambling did not differ by sex among domestic students, problem gambling among international students was confined to males. Hence, rates of problem gambling were markedly elevated in this subgroup (5% of all male international students, 15% of male international students who reported any form of gambling in the past 12 months). International students were more likely than domestic students to report engaging in gambling as a means of regulating their internal states and for a challenge and these and other reasons for gambling were positively correlated with problem gambling behaviour. The findings support the need for population- and campus-based health promotion and early intervention programs targeting international students, male students in particular. Information concerning individuals' reasons for gambling might usefully be included in these programs.

Dying and relational aftermath concerns among terminal cancer patients in China

The need to make sense of one's mortality is of central concern for death studies. We aimed to explore the meaning of aftermath concerns in the process of preparing for death. Using a qualitative approach, we explored aftermath concerns among 25 participants with terminal cancer in China. Three aftermath concern themes were developed from the participants' narratives: mental concerns about parents, material concerns about children, and spiritual concerns about the self. Aftermath concerns are relational because they are not about what happens within an individual, but between individuals which are manifested within the broader cultural, social, economic, and political contexts.

Narrative health psychology: once more unto the breach. Introduction

In this editorial, we position narrative health psychology as a variety of narrative psychology, a form of qualitative research in health psychology, and a psychological perspective that falls under the interdisciplinary term narrative health research. The aim of this positioning is to explore what are the most important features of the proposed approach and how they are relevant. We illustrate each positioning with the scope and diversity of narrative health psychology brought together in this special issue. Finally, we reflect on where narrative health psychology is now and how it could develop in the future.