The effectiveness of a web-based positive psychology intervention in enhancing college students' mental well-being

2021 ◽  
Vol 49 (8) ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Kunyan Liu ◽  
Yunfei Duan ◽  
Yilin Wang

During the global pandemic, lockdown policies aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19 have been affecting all demographics. Although they may be continuing their studies online, university students may suffer severe mental consequences because of loneliness and social isolation. To help students improve their psychological well-being, we examined the effectiveness of a web-based positive psychology intervention (PPI) with 886 students who either took part in PPI sessions or received health reminders. Results show that the PPI sessions (vs. regular health reminders) significantly improved positive mood and mitigated negative emotions among the students. The positive effect of the intervention also remained consistent at both 3and 6-month follow-ups. These findings indicate that PPI should be embraced at universities to boost college students' psychological state.

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. e1-e8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giulia Corno ◽  
Ernestina Etchemendy ◽  
Macarena Espinoza ◽  
Rocío Herrero ◽  
Guadalupe Molinari ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shervin Assari

Background. According to the Minorities’ Diminished Returns (MDR) theory, the health returns of socioeconomic status (SES) are systemically smaller for Blacks compared to Whites. Less is known, however, about trans-generational aspects of such diminished gains. For example, the differential impact of parental educational attainment on differences in mental well-being between White versus Black college students remains unknown. Aims. With a national scope, this study explored racial differences in the effect of parental educational attainment on the mental well-being of college students in the United States. Methods. The Healthy Mind Study (HMS), 2016–2017, is a national telephone survey that included 41,898 college students. The sample was composed of Whites (n = 38,544; 92.0%) and Blacks (n = 3354; 8.0%). The independent variable was highest parental educational attainment. The dependent variable was mental well-being (mentally healthy days in the past month) which was measured using a single item. Age and gender were covariates. Race was the moderator. Logistic regression was used for data analysis. Results. In the pooled sample, high parental educational attainment was associated with better mental wellbeing, independent of race, age, and gender. Race, however, showed a significant interaction with parental educational attainment on students’ mental wellbeing, indicating a smaller effect of parent education on the mental wellbeing of Black compared to White college students. Conclusions. The returns of parental educational attainment in terms of mental well-being is smaller for Black college students compared to their White counterparts. To minimize the diminished returns of parental education in Black families, policies should go beyond equalizing SES and reduce the structural barriers that are common in the lives of Black families. Policies should also aim to reduce extra costs of upward social mobility, prevent discrimination, and enhance the quality of education for Blacks. As the mechanisms that are involved in MDR are multi-level, multi-level solutions are needed to minimize the racial gaps in gaining mental health benefits from higher socioeconomic levels.


2001 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
MATTIAS STRANDH

Although the relationship between unemployment and poor mental well-being has long been an area of interest within behavioural science, the role of state intervention in the unemployment situation has not been thoroughly investigated. This article investigates how unemployment benefit systems and active labour market policy measures affect mental well-being among the unemployed in Sweden. The study uses a longitudinal and nationally representative survey of 3,500 unemployed Swedes. Three different types of active labour market policy measures involving the unemployed were studied, ‘activation’, ‘vocational training’ and ‘work-place participation’ measures. Of these only involvement in ‘workplace participation’ was found to have a clearly positive effect on mental well-being among those participating. Of the two Swedish unemployment benefit systems, the more generous income replacement Unemployment Benefits and the less generous flat rate Cash Unemployment Benefits, only access to income replacement Unemployment Benefits was found to mediate the mental well-being impact of unemployment. The positive effect of access to income replacement Unemployment Benefits was further accentuated when unemployment was prolonged. Those with access to this benefit system seemed to suffer no further deterioration of mental well-being, while the mental well-being of the rest of the unemployed further deteriorated.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenichi Asano ◽  
Ikuo Ishimura ◽  
Masahiro Kodama

Several studies in Europe and North America have highlighted the importance of resignation or giving up. Research has shown that resignation is as important as goal attainment. Hence, this study examines, using path analysis, the effect of resignation orientation on goal disengagement and reengagement. Furthermore, this study attempts to clarify the implication of resignation orientation for elements of mental well-being. Questionnaires were completed by 261 Japanese college students. Results showed that proactive resignation orientation promotes reestablishment of alternative goals while negative resignation orientation encourages disengagement of the unattainable goals. The findings help explain the functional role of resignation orientation and can inform the development of treatment for resignation-related depression.


2019 ◽  
Vol 100 (10) ◽  
pp. e110-e111
Author(s):  
Alexandra Terrill ◽  
Jackie Einerson ◽  
Justin MacKenzie ◽  
Maija Reblin ◽  
Beth Cardell ◽  
...  

1995 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 370-379 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. P. Carey ◽  
J. P. Fry

Although mental well-being has long been accepted as an important aspect of animal welfare, the subjective feelings of farm or laboratory animals are regarded as lying beyond the scope of scientific enquiry. We now report that pharmacological conditioning of pigs with a drug, pentylenetetrazole, known to induce anxiety in man, permits investigation of the presence or absence of this psychological state during exposure to a variety of environmental stimuli encountered during normal husbandry. Such pharmacological conditioning therefore provides a valuable means to assess and improve elements of animal welfare and should be applicable to other species that show operant behaviour.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document