“I Am Grateful That I Still Live Under One Roof With My Family”: Gratitude Among South African University Students

2020 ◽  
pp. 216769682097069
Author(s):  
Carolina F. du Plessis ◽  
Tharina Guse ◽  
Graham A. du Plessis
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Emerging Adults ◽  
South African ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Family Relationships ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Developmental Trajectory ◽  
Socioeconomic Resources ◽  
Material Resources ◽  
University Life

During the transition from school to university, students are faced with many challenges to their well-being. This is especially true in resource constrained societies like South Africa. While there is extensive research linking well-being with gratitude, less is known qualitatively about what individuals are grateful for. A sample of 933 undergraduate students submitted gratitude lists, resulting in over 9,000 unique “gratitude items.” Thematic analysis revealed several prominent themes, such as gratitude for relationships, material resources, being at university, life and health, and, finally, religious gratitude. These themes are discussed in the context of the importance of family relationships in the lives of emerging adults, the core role played by the educational context, the importance of socioeconomic resources and the association between religion, gratitude, and well-being. Strengthening these resources and cultivating gratitude for these prominent targets of appreciation may support students in their developmental trajectory.

scholarly journals Understanding Students’ Mental Well-Being Challenges on a University Campus: Interview Study (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sun Young Park ◽  
Nazanin Andalibi ◽  
Yikai Zou ◽  
Siddhant Ambulkar ◽  
Jina Huh-Yoo
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Emerging Adults ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Transitional Period ◽  
Major Life Events ◽  
Major Life ◽  
Mental Well Being

BACKGROUND Research shows that emerging adults face numerous stressors as they transition from adolescence to adulthood. This paper investigates university students’ lived experiences of maintaining mental well-being during major life events and challenges associated with this transitional period. As we continue to design health technology to support students’ mental health needs, it is imperative to understand the fundamental needs and issues particular to this phase of their life to effectively engage and lower the barriers to seeking help. OBJECTIVE This study first aimed to understand how university students currently seek and receive support to maintain their mental well-being while going through frequent life events during this period of emerging adulthood. The study then aimed to provide design requirements for how social and technical systems should support the students’ mental well-being maintenance practice. METHODS Semistructured interviews with 19 students, including graduate and undergraduate students, were conducted at a large university in the Midwest in the United States. RESULTS This study’s findings identified three key needs: students (1) need to receive help that aligns with the perceived severity of the problem caused by a life event, (2) have to continuously rebuild relationships with support givers because of frequent life events, and (3) negotiate tensions between the need to disclose and the stigma associated with disclosure. The study also identified three key factors related to maintaining mental well-being: time, audience, and disclosure. CONCLUSIONS On the basis of this study’s empirical findings, we discuss how and when help should be delivered through technology to better address university students’ needs for maintaining their mental well-being, and we argue for reconceptualizing seeking and receiving help as a colearning process.

scholarly journals Understanding Students’ Mental Well-Being Challenges on a University Campus: Interview Study

10.2196/15962 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. e15962 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sun Young Park ◽  
Nazanin Andalibi ◽  
Yikai Zou ◽  
Siddhant Ambulkar ◽  
Jina Huh-Yoo
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Emerging Adults ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Transitional Period ◽  
Major Life Events ◽  
Major Life ◽  
Mental Well Being

Background Research shows that emerging adults face numerous stressors as they transition from adolescence to adulthood. This paper investigates university students’ lived experiences of maintaining mental well-being during major life events and challenges associated with this transitional period. As we continue to design health technology to support students’ mental health needs, it is imperative to understand the fundamental needs and issues particular to this phase of their life to effectively engage and lower the barriers to seeking help. Objective This study first aimed to understand how university students currently seek and receive support to maintain their mental well-being while going through frequent life events during this period of emerging adulthood. The study then aimed to provide design requirements for how social and technical systems should support the students’ mental well-being maintenance practice. Methods Semistructured interviews with 19 students, including graduate and undergraduate students, were conducted at a large university in the Midwest in the United States. Results This study’s findings identified three key needs: students (1) need to receive help that aligns with the perceived severity of the problem caused by a life event, (2) have to continuously rebuild relationships with support givers because of frequent life events, and (3) negotiate tensions between the need to disclose and the stigma associated with disclosure. The study also identified three key factors related to maintaining mental well-being: time, audience, and disclosure. Conclusions On the basis of this study’s empirical findings, we discuss how and when help should be delivered through technology to better address university students’ needs for maintaining their mental well-being, and we argue for reconceptualizing seeking and receiving help as a colearning process.

scholarly journals The religious lives of students at a South African university

2016 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Werner Nell
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
South African ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Religious Affiliation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Religious Fundamentalism ◽  
Religious Practices ◽  
Religious Attitudes ◽  
Spiritual Well Being ◽  
Religious Lives

Whilst significant research has been conducted on religious affiliation and on general levels of religiosity in the South African context, few studies specifically investigated the religious lives of South African university students in a comprehensive way. This is unfortunate as such research could significantly inform and support the effectiveness of youth and student ministries. As such, this article explored the religious lives of students at a university in the Gauteng province of South Africa, focusing specifically on students’ self-assessed religiosity, the maturity of their religious attitudes, their spiritual well-being, the religious practices in which they engage and the relationship between such practices and their spiritual well-being. Gender, racial and religious differences concerning these variables were also investigated. Data were collected from 356 undergraduate students by means of a structured survey consisting of the Spiritual Well-Being Questionnaire, the Religious Fundamentalism Scale and two other scales aimed at assessing religiosity and religious practices. Results indicated that 98.9% of participants were religious with the majority (86.9%) being Christian. Generally, students espoused highly fundamentalist religious attitudes but had high levels of spiritual well-being. Prayer and virtual or in-person attendance of religious gatherings such as church services were the most prevalent religious practices whereas fasting and meditation were practiced least. All practices were positively correlated with students’ spiritual well-being. Based on these findings, the article concludes with several specific, practical recommendations relevant to student ministries and those working with university students in religious contexts.

scholarly journals Psychological Well-being as a Predictor of Resilience Among University Students

2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 571-586
Author(s):  
Amreen . ◽  
Anila Amber Malik
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Male Students ◽  
Philosophical Approach ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Resilience Scale ◽  
Life Challenges ◽  
University Life ◽  
Psychological Features

The concept of psychological well-being and resilience shares common psychological features involved in positive human functioning. The theoretical dimensions of psychological well-being are deeply rooted in the philosophical approach to humanistic, existential, developmental, and clinical psychology. The present study was aimed to examine the predictable relationship of psychological well-being and resilience among undergraduate university students of Karachi. Secondly, it differentiates the functioning of male and female university students on the construct of psychological Well-being and resilience. The sample was comprised of 300 undergraduate students, purposively selected; with a mean age of 21.89 years belong to different universities of Karachi. The Scales of Psychological Well-being (Ryff, 1989) and The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (Connor & Davidson, 2003) were used as measures of this study. Findings indicated that psychological well-being was positive predictor of resilience. In the Scales of Psychological Well-being, the domain of autonomy and environmental mastery were the significant positive correlates of resilience. In addition, psychological well-being and resilience were found to be greater among female students as compared to male students. The findings of this study provide implications for positive education that enables students to robust their strengths and capabilities to increase their well-being and effective management of university life challenges.

scholarly journals Are perceptions of grandparenthood related to family and life satisfaction? A study with emerging adults

2021 ◽  
pp. 026540752098115
Author(s):  
Isabel Miguel ◽  
Alexandra M. Araújo ◽  
Sandra Fernandes ◽  
Luísa Carneiro ◽  
Paula Fernandes
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Emerging Adults ◽  
Family Relationships ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Emerging Adult ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Family Satisfaction ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Adult Grandchildren

Given the crucial role that grandparents play in the upbringing and well-being of their grandchildren, research regarding the perceived importance of grandparents for their emerging adult grandchildren is of particular relevance. This study examined the relations between perceived grandparents’ roles and family and life satisfaction in Portuguese emerging adults. Participants (N = 387), aged 18–25, completed a structured self-report questionnaire. Findings of structural equation modeling showed that emerging adults’ perceptions of grandparental roles of counselor, enjoying the relationship, and indulgence are positively related to their family and life satisfaction. The mediation analysis showed that family satisfaction mediated the relation between perceptions of grandparents acting as counselors and the life satisfaction of emerging adult grandchildren. Implications of family relationships and grandparenting in the context of emerging adulthood are discussed.

scholarly journals Stress, Mood, and Smartphone Use in University Students: A 12-week Longitudinal Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abigail Bradley ◽  
Andrea Howard
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
University Students ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Screen Time ◽  
Multilevel Models ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mood States ◽  
Stress Levels ◽  
Smartphone Use ◽  
Screen Use

The current study used device-logged screen time records to measure week-to-week within-person associations between stress and smartphone use in undergraduate students (N = 187, Mage = 20.1) during Fall 2020, focusing on differences across types of app used and whether accumulated screen use each week predicted end-of-week mood states. Participants uploaded weekly screenshots from their “Screen Time” settings display and completed surveys measuring stress, mood, and COVID-19 experiences. Results of multilevel models showed no week-to-week change in smartphone hours of use or device pickups. Higher stress levels were not concurrently associated with heavier smartphone use, either overall or by type of app. Heavier smartphone use in a given week did not predict end-of-week mood states, but students who tended to spend more time on their phones in general reported slightly worse moods—a between-person effect potentially reflecting deficits in well-being that are present in students’ offline lives as well. Our findings contribute to a growing scholarly consensus that time spent on smartphones tells us little about young people’s well-being.

scholarly journals The 5Cs of Positive Youth Development, Purpose in Life, Hope, and Well-Being Among Emerging Adults in Malaysia

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nor Ba’yah Abdul Kadir ◽  
Rusyda Helma Mohd
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Emerging Adults ◽  
Youth Development ◽  
Positive Youth Development ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Purpose In Life ◽  
Emerging Adult ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Positive Development

A substantial body of evidence supports Lerner and colleagues’ 5Cs model of positive youth development (PYD) in the United States (U.S.). Nonetheless, it remains unclear whether the 5Cs can be used to identify positive development in the under-researched Asian contexts, such as Malaysia. Thus, this study examined the 5Cs of PYD (competence, confidence, character, connection, and caring) and their importance to purpose in life, hope, and well-being in a sample of emerging adult undergraduate university students in Malaysia. Data were collected from 400 participants from 15 Malaysian universities (132 males, 268 females; ages ranged from 18 to 26 years old, M = 22). A hierarchical multiple regression analysis indicated that two of the 5Cs of PYD (confidence and connection) as well as hope were important to explaining variation in well-being. The findings imply that there are strong links between PYD, especially confidence and connection, and well-being, while purpose in life and hope were indirectly related to the 2Cs (confidence and connection) of PYD and well-being. Therefore, mental health professionals are encouraged to review and redefine their treatment design to include confidence, connection, purpose in life and hope when working with Malaysian emerging adult university students.

scholarly journals The Role of Senior University Students’ Career Adaptability in Predicting Their Subjective Well-Being

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oğuzhan Kırdök ◽  
Ayten Bölükbaşı
Keyword(s):  
Regression Analysis ◽  
University Students ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mediterranean Coast ◽  
Career Adaptability ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Satisfaction Scale ◽  
Predictive Variables ◽  
Senior Students

The aim of this study is to examine whether career adaptability and career adaptability subscales of senior undergraduates could predict subjective well-being.  The research was a descriptive correlational study which was conducted on 310 senior students (173 women, 137 men) in a state-funded university on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey and participants participated in this study voluntarily. Participants ranged in age between 20 and 28 years. Career Adaptability Scale, Life Satisfaction Scale, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule were used as data collection tools in this study. Pearson's Product-Moment Correlation Analysis, Simple Regression Analysis, and finally Multiple Regression Analysis were performed to examine the effect of the total score of career adaptability and subscale scores of careers adaptability of senior undergraduate students on subjective well-being. All analyses were conducted using the SPSS version 20.0. The findings of the research showed that career adaptability predicts the subjective well-being of university senior students. Control as a subscale of career adaptability was found to be the strongest predictive variable for subjective well-being among senior university students. Concern and confidence as subscales of career adaptability were found to be other predictive variables of subjective well-being in this study. However, curiosity as a subscale was not found to be a predictor of subjective well-being. These findings are discussed through career construction theory.

scholarly journals Optimism and resilience among university students

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 147
Author(s):  
Rocio Gómez- Molinero ◽  
Antonio Zayas ◽  
Paula Ruíz-González ◽  
Rocio Guil
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Spanish Version ◽  
Life Transition ◽  
Life Orientation Test ◽  
New Family ◽  
Resilience Scale ◽  
University Life ◽  
The Face

University life is full of stressful stimuli that can contribute to psychological distress and lower performance levels. Despite academic demands, university students also face new stressors, such as different social networks, financial changes, and adaptation to new family and social roles that may have a negative impact on their mental health (Pidgeon & Pickett, 2017). In this sense, resilience literature has gained acceptance explaining how some students successfully adapt to university life while others find great challenges. Since resilience has been defined as the ability to successfully adapt in the face of stress and adversity, it is important to determine what psychological factors contribute enhancing this resilience levels. One of the factors related to life adaptation is optimism, understood as the general expectancy of obtaining positive outcomes in the future (Scheier & Carver, 1985). Hence, the aim of this study is to study the relationship between optimism and resilience among a sample of university students in Spain.The sample was comprised of 132 students from the University of Cádiz (Spain). Participants were selected by quota sampling from first to last year of studies. The majority of students (72.5%) were female and average age was 21.71 (range = 18–48, SD = 3.75). Participants completed the Wagnild and Young Resilience Scale (Spanish version adapted by Novella, 2002) and Life Orientation Test (LOT-R Spanish version adapted by Ferrando, Chico & Tous).We performed hierarchical multiple regression analysis and obtained that optimism explained 25% of resilience among university students (R2 = .25, â = .49). No gender and age differences were observed. Thus, identifying the factors that influence students’ adjustment to university life can improve the targeting of interventions to improve university academic performance. Moreover, this research could contribute helping students to successfully face this life transition, increasing their well-being and life satisfaction levels and decreasing university absenteeism.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document