Evaluation of the psychometric properties of the Positive Mental Health Questionnaire in Portuguese higher education students

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are potent health promotion settings, uniquely positioned to aid societal efforts to combat non-communicable diseases (NCDs). International evidence suggests that health metrics and lifestyle behaviours of higher education students are sub-optimal, yet a dearth of contemporary Irish data exists. This study aimed to examine sex differences in student lifestyle behaviours and identify significant predictors of positive mental health in an Irish HEI setting. An online questionnaire instrument distributed to all registered students (n = 11,261) gathered data regarding a multitude of health and lifestyle domains. Many items were adapted from previous Irish research. Further validated scales included the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), Mental-Health Index 5 (MHI-5) and the Energy and Vitality Index (EVI). Self-reported height/body mass were also recorded. In total, 2267 responses were analysed (51.7% female, 48.3% male). Both sexes demonstrated poor sleeping patterns, hazardous drinking and sub-optimal fruit and vegetable intake. The calculated prevalence of overweight/obesity was 38.2%. Both sexes underestimated obesity. Males underestimated and females overestimated overweight. Males displayed riskier behavioural patterns with regard to illicit substances, drinking, and sexual partners. Females reported greater psychological distress. Multivariate linear regression identified 8 variables as predictors of positive mental health, accounting for 37% of the variance in EVI scores. In conclusion, HEI students would benefit from sex-specific multi-level health promotion initiatives to remove macro-level barriers to healthier lifestyles.

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Reliability and validity of the Positive Mental Health Questionnaire in a sample of Spanish university students

Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing ◽

10.1111/jpm.12358 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 24 (2-3) ◽

pp. 123-133 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

J. Roldán-Merino ◽

M. T. Lluch-Canut ◽

I. Casas ◽

M. Sanromà-Ortíz ◽

C. Ferré-Grau ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

University Students ◽

Reliability And Validity ◽

Positive Mental Health ◽

Health Questionnaire ◽

Mental Health Questionnaire

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Mental Health and Psychological Impact during COVID-19 Pandemic: An Online Survey of Portuguese Higher Education Students

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph19010337 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

pp. 337

Author(s):

Carlos Laranjeira ◽

Maria Anjos Dixe ◽

Olga Valentim ◽

Zaida Charepe ◽

Ana Querido

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Higher Education ◽

Online Survey ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Poor Mental Health ◽

Assessment Tools ◽

Vulnerable Groups ◽

Education Students ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Portuguese Higher Education

The COVID-19 pandemic has had significant psychological impact on vulnerable groups, particularly students. The present study aims to investigate the mental and psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated factors in a sample of Portuguese higher education students. An online cross-sectional study was conducted among 1522 higher education students selected by convenience sampling. The survey assessed mental health symptoms as well as sociodemographic variables, health-related perceptions, and psychological factors. Results were fitted to binary and multivariable logistic regression models. The overall prevalences of stress, anxiety, and depression were 35.7%, 36.2%, and 28.5%, respectively. Poor mental health outcomes were related with being female, having no children, living with someone with chronic disease, facing hopelessness, and lacking resilient coping. Future studies focusing on better ways to promote mental health and wellbeing among students are warranted. It is necessary to gather more evidence on the post-pandemic mental health using robust study designs and standardized assessment tools.

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Challenges in Conducting the Study to Adapt and Test the Psychometric Properties of the Psychological Vulnerability Scale in a Sample of 267 Portuguese Higher Education Students

10.4135/9781529718263 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Maria José Carvalho Nogueira

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Psychometric Properties ◽

Education Students ◽

Psychological Vulnerability ◽

Portuguese Higher Education

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CROSS-CULTURAL ADAPTATION OF THE POSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH QUESTIONNAIRE FOR NURSING STUDENTS IN THE BRAZILIAN CONTEXT

Texto & Contexto - Enfermagem ◽

10.1590/1980-265x-tce-2020-0431 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 30 ◽

Author(s):

Kayo Henrique Jardel Feitosa Sousa ◽

Maria Teresa Lluch-Canut ◽

Cristiane Helena Gallasch ◽

Regina Célia Gollner Zeitoune

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Nursing Students ◽

Cultural Adaptation ◽

Positive Mental Health ◽

Cross Cultural ◽

Health Questionnaire ◽

Undergraduate Nursing Students ◽

Undergraduate Nursing ◽

Brazilian Version ◽

Mental Health Questionnaire

ABSTRACT Objective: to describe the cross-cultural adaptation process of the Positive Mental Health Questionnaire for undergraduate Nursing students, in the Brazilian context. Method: a psychometric study conducted in public universities in Rio de Janeiro/Brazil, between October 2019 and July 2020. The transcultural adaptation process encompassed the following stages: translation; reconciliation; back-translation; independent reviews by a committee of reviewers; pre-completion; completion; harmonization; formatting and review; cognitive test with 31 undergraduate Nursing students from two public universities; and analysis of the comments. Results: the process lasted approximately ten months, and the initial translations, carried out independently by two translators, achieved close versions; none of the translators reported difficulties in translating the meanings of the items. The Brazilian version of the instrument maintained conceptual, semantic, idiomatic, and experimental equivalences. The mean content validity ratio values for clarity, relevance, pertinence, and theoretical dimension were higher than established; the assessment by the target audience showed good understanding. Conclusion: the Positive Mental Health Questionnaire - Brazilian version showed equivalence with the original version, developed in Spain, and presented satisfactory evidence of content validity for use with undergraduate Nursing students in Brazil, being easy-to-understand by the target audience.

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Levels of Positive Mental Health in Portuguese and Spanish Nursing Students

Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association ◽

10.1177/1078390319851569 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 26 (5) ◽

pp. 483-492

Author(s):

Carlos Sequeira ◽

José Carlos Carvalho ◽

Amadeu Gonçalves ◽

Maria José Nogueira ◽

Teresa Lluch-Canut ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Nursing Students ◽

Health Problem ◽

Well Being ◽

Positive Mental Health ◽

Health Questionnaire ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

Positive Functioning ◽

Two Samples ◽

Mental Health Questionnaire

BACKGROUND: Positive mental health (PMH) is described as the sense of feeling good and functioning well. PMH is vital for the individual’s positive functioning and psychological well-being, particularly regarding the factors important for living a purposeful life and accomplishing personal goals. Nursing students are exposed to a variety of stressors that are very likely to decrease well-being and trigger stress, anxiety, and depression. Data focusing on PMH in nursing students are lacking, and this subject has been frequently neglected in nursing practice and research on positive functioning. AIMS: To assess positive mental health levels in two samples of nursing students. METHODS: A quantitative cross-sectional study. A convenience sample of 2,238 nursing students with an average age of 21 years (17-36 years old) were recruited from two nursing schools—Porto (Portugal) and Barcelona (Spain). The Positive Mental Health Questionnaire and sociodemographic items were used to measure the PMH. RESULTS: The majority of participants were female (88.6%), and 7.7% had physical health problem and 2.6% referred to a mental health problem. The mean PMH score was 83.4, indicating a good PMH level. A total of 58.4% reported a moderate PMH, and only 0.5% indicated low PMH level. Results were not significantly different between genders ( p > .05). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study make important contributions to our understanding of PMH levels in a large sample of nursing students and the efficacy of Positive Mental Health Questionnaire, which is an accurate tool to measure PMH. Our findings also prompt discussion about PMH and its implications for practice and teaching.

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Psychometric Properties of the Psychological Vulnerability Scale in Higher Education Students

Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association ◽

10.1177/1078390317695261 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 23 (3) ◽

pp. 215-222 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Maria José Nogueira ◽

Luisa Barros ◽

Carlos Sequeira

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Psychometric Properties ◽

Convergent Validity ◽

Brief Symptom Inventory ◽

The Body ◽

Education Students ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

Symptom Inventory ◽

Psychological Vulnerability ◽

Portuguese Higher Education

BACKGROUND: Psychological vulnerability is related to cognitive beliefs that reflect dependence on one’s sense of self-worth and to maladaptive functioning. It is a disadvantage that renders people less protected to face negative life experiences. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to adapt and test the psychometric properties of the Psychological Vulnerability Scale in a sample of 267 Portuguese higher education students. DESIGN: A psychometric study of the Psychological Vulnerability Scale, after translation into Portuguese, was performed with a convenience sample of higher education students. Participants were asked to fill in the sociodemographic questionnaire, the Psychological Vulnerability Scale, the Brief Symptom Inventory, and a one-item question about the Perception of Vulnerability. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 20.5 years ( SD = 3.3). A factor analysis confirmed the original one-factor structure, explaining 42.9% of the total variance. The Psychological Vulnerability Scale showed adequate internal consistency and excellent test–retest stability. Convergent validity was confirmed by positive correlations with the Brief Symptom Inventory and Perception of Vulnerability. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the Psychological Vulnerability Scale showed good validity, reliability, and stability over time. The Psychological Vulnerability Scale is now ready to be used by practitioners and researchers to measure the psychological vulnerability among Portuguese higher education students. These data add to the body of knowledge of psychiatric and mental health nursing and provides support for the use of the Psychological Vulnerability Scale in higher education students.

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Psychometric Properties of the Emotional Exhaustion Scale (ECE) in Chilean Higher Education Students

European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education ◽

10.3390/ejihpe12010005 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 50-61

Author(s):

Jonathan Martínez-Líbano ◽

María-Mercedes Yeomans ◽

Juan-Carlos Oyanedel

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Higher Education ◽

Factor Analysis ◽

Psychometric Properties ◽

Factor Analyses ◽

Education Students ◽

Varimax Rotation ◽

Confirmatory Factor Analyses ◽

Confirmatory Factor ◽

Confirmatory Analysis

The main objective of this study was to estimate the psychometric properties of the Emotional Fatigue Scale (ECE) in a sample of 1308 Chilean university students and confirm the unifactorial structure of the scale. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were carried out. The ECE assessment had an internal consistency of 0.893 (Cronbach’s Alpha). An exploratory factor analysis with Varimax rotation and a confirmatory analysis were performed, obtaining the factor that explains 52.3% of the variance. The results indicated that the ECE has adequate psychometric properties for use with higher education students in Chile. The ECE scale has good psychometric properties to be applied in the Chilean university context. Its usage may be very relevant to contribute to higher education institutions to emphasize students’ mental health and prevent possible severe pathologies in future professionals. It is suggested to use the ECE scale together with the EES-Int, which is the only interpretation table for this instrument.

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