Journal of American College Health最新文献

Objective: In this study, we examine social support and sense of belonging as protective factors against depression and anxiety among undergraduates with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), a growing population at heightened risk for mental health problems.

Participants: Our sample of 170 undergraduates (ages 18-25) attending a large public university in the southwestern US was comprised of predominantly female-identified (69%), South Asian (45%), junior and senior (78%), full time (97%) students.

Methods: Students self-reported ACEs, perceived social support, sense of school belonging, and depression and anxiety symptoms in fall 2022.

Results: Controlling for age, higher ACEs and lower social support and belonging predicted more severe depression and anxiety. Higher ACEs only significantly predicted higher depression severity when support and belonging were low. Interactions predicting anxiety were nonsignificant.

Conclusions: Findings highlight social support and belonging as potential intervention targets for reducing mental health risk among students with ACEs or other traumatic experiences.

Introduction: Stress is especially profound among minority college students who experience magnified levels of prejudice and discrimination. High levels of stress significantly impact their academic performance, and health.

Objective: The present study aimed to examine the constructs of Lazarus and Folkman's transactional theory of stress and coping for stress management in college students from a Hispanic-Serving Institution.

Methods: One hundred fifty undergraduate students completed the survey. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to measure the incremental variance accounted for by each predictor set.

Results: The final regression model accounted for 56% of the variance in perceived stress scores, a large effect size. In the final model, significant contributors to perceived stress variance were emotion-oriented coping, core self-evaluations, and social support.

Implication: These findings can inform the development of effective psychosocial interventions to support minority college students develop personal strengths and social support, buffering against the negative effects during a college mental health crisis.

Objective: College sexual assault (SA) survivors tend to underutilize university resources in favor of reporting to family or friends. The current study assessed prevalence and SA disclosure themes and patterns amongst college students. Participants: Data obtained from a campus sexual violence climate survey included 3,398 students. Method: Quantitative and qualitative data examined SA prevalence, themes of disclosure, and knowledge of university resources. Results: Although participants indicated potential utilization of university resources in the event of SA, most survivors reported disclosing to family and friends, while those who had not experienced SA indicated that they would disclose to police or campus programs. Reasons for non-disclosure to university resources among SA survivors included minimization of the SA experience and discomfort with the reporting process. Conclusions: Results demonstrate the need for universities to involve peers and families as additional sources of support for SA survivors, and the need to address barriers to reporting.

Objective: Evaluate student effects of participating in an undergraduate academic course, Art and Science of Human Flourishing, that was offered in a synchronous, virtual format during the Fall 2020 semester at three universities.

Participants: Three combined cohorts of undergraduate students from three universities (n = 168).

Methods: A pre/post/5-month follow-up, propensity-score matched evaluation was conducted. Measures assessed attention skills, social-emotional skills, flourishing, depressive symptoms, and sleep quality.

Results: Relative to comparisons, students in the course reported significant improvements in proximal outcomes related to mindfulness, compassion, and common humanity, as well as decreases in depressive symptoms. Improvements in distal outcomes of flourishing and depressive symptoms were significant at post-course but did not maintain significance at five-month follow-up.

Conclusions: The academic study of human flourishing and contemplative education offers a promising and unique approach to supporting undergraduate mental health and well-being, even in virtual settings.

Undergraduates' health and wellness is a critical focus in higher education, yet there remains a paucity of research exploring first-generation to college (FGC) undergraduates with chronic pain (CP). Examining 116 first-year, FGC undergraduates, this quantitative study sought to understand the impact of CP on pain acceptance for FGC undergraduates at a midwestern Predominately White Institution (PWI). Students were primarily White, self-identified female, domestic, and traditional first-year students, most of whom reported experiencing pain some to most days over the last 3 months. Using the Psychosociocultural Model, results revealed group differences by CP identity and onset. Regression analysis indicated adjustment and identity positively predicted wellness. Further, pain/pain impact partially mediated the relationship between identity and wellness. An ongoing, multidimensional examination in addressing pain acceptance for first-year, FGC undergraduates with CP is suggested, as it is not enough to just explore pain in and of itself.

Objectives: Despite research showing the impact of the threat of COVID-19 on mental health, scholars have failed to examine the relationship between perceived disaster threat and COVID-19 anxiety. Factors that buffer that positive relationship (e.g., optimism and emergency preparedness self-efficacy or EPSE) are also understudied. Thus, we examined the relationship between the perceived threat of disasters and COVID-19-related anxiety, as well as potential moderating factors of this relationship, including optimism and EPSE. Participants and methods: Participants were a representative sample of U.S. college students (N = 392) recruited through Prolific.co who completed measures in an online Qualtrics survey. Results: Both optimism and EPSE were significant moderators of the relationship between perceived threat and symptoms of anxiety related to COVID-19. When both moderators were included in a double moderation model analysis, only EPSE remained a significant moderator. Conclusions: These findings reflect the importance of cultivating protective psychological resources to protect college students' well-being during disasters.

Objective: This study examined whether distinct mindfulness profiles explain physical health complaints common among college students. Participants: Participants were 535 college students. Methods: Participants completed the Five Facet Mindfulness and Physical Health Questionnaires. Latent profile analysis and the Bolck-Croon-Hagenaars method examined whether mindfulness profiles uniquely explained sleep disturbances, headaches, gastrointestinal problems, and respiratory illness symptoms. Results: Three mindfulness profiles were identified: Judgmentally Observing, Average Mindfulness, and High Mindfulness/Nonjudgmentally Aware. The High Mindfulness/Nonjudgmentally Aware profile students tended to report having the best physical health (i.e., fewer sleep disturbances, headaches, gastrointestinal problems, and respiratory illness symptoms). Conversely, students with the Judgmentally Observing profile reported the worst physical health outcomes (i.e., more sleep disturbances, headaches, gastrointestinal problems, and respiratory illness symptoms). Conclusions: By exploring the associations between mindfulness profiles and physical health outcomes, this study offers a deeper understanding of the impact targeting specific mindfulness skills can have for promoting college student health.

Objective: To examine associations among college students' worry about COVID-19, use of healthy and unhealthy coping techniques, and sleep-related impairment. Participants: The sample consisted of 366 undergraduate students (M_age =19.48 ± 1.76 years, 63.4% women; 62.6% college freshman). Methods: University students completed a series of questionnaires. Results: COVID-19 worry significantly predicted greater sleep-related impairment (β = .27, t = 5.23, p < .001). Students who implemented unhealthy coping strategies experienced more sleep-related impairment (β = .24, t = 4.82, p < .001), whereas students employing healthy coping strategies reported less sleep-related impairment (β = -0.19, t = -3.88, p < .001). Unhealthy coping moderated relations between COVID-19 worry and sleep-related impairment, such that the relationship between COVID-19 worry and sleep-related impairment was stronger among students reporting average (at the mean) to high (+1 SD) unhealthy coping scores. Conclusions: Engaging in unhealthy coping techniques emerged as a significant risk factor for worse sleep among college students.

Objective: This study aimed to test the direct and indirect effect of social capital on psychological well-being, the mediating effects of basic psychological need satisfaction and sports identity respectively, as well as their chain mediation among student-athletes. Participants: We investigated college athletes from Jiangsu and Yunnan provinces in China's eastern and western regions (n = 822). Methods: Structural equation modeling approach with bootstrapping analysis was used to test the hypothetical relationships. Results: Social capital was positively associated with psychological well-being both directly and indirectly. The mediating roles of need satisfaction and sports identity were examined between social capital and psychological well-being, respectively. Besides, the chain mediating path of psychological need satisfaction and sports identity was confirmed. Conclusions: Findings demonstrated that universities were expected to use multiple strategies to improve students' social capital, fulfill their psychological needs, and reinforce the sense of honor with sports identity. In addition, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and higher education institutions in the United States should offer specific support to students from culturally diverse backgrounds to address their unique needs effectively.

Objective: The present study examined what specific aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to psychopathology symptoms among college students during the initial stages of the pandemic. Participants: One thousand and eighty-nine college students (M_age = 20.73, SD_age = 2.93) enrolled at a university in New York participated in the study between March and May 2020. Methods: Participants completed self-report measures assessing pandemic-related experiences and psychopathology symptoms. Results: Results indicated that greater COVID-19-related life changes were uniquely associated with greater depression and post-traumatic stress symptoms. Greater concerns about school, home confinement, and basic needs were uniquely associated with greater depression symptoms. Finally, greater COVID-19 infection concerns were uniquely associated with greater generalized anxiety and post-traumatic stress symptoms. Conclusion: The present study indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic had a multifaceted impact on undergraduate students and that specific COVID-19 experiences contributed to higher rates of psychopathology symptoms.