Psychological Well-Being of Malaysian University Students during COVID-19 Pandemic: Do Religiosity and Religious Coping Matter?

The COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions imposed that changed the teaching and learning activities may add a psychological impact to the existing academic stress faced by university students. Past studies have associated low levels of psychological disorder with high religiosity and positive religious coping (RC). This study aimed to determine the level of psychological disorder among university students in Malaysia during the COVID-19 pandemic and measure their association with religiosity and religious coping (RC). An online cross-sectional survey was conducted between March and June 2020 involving 450 students. The survey instruments consisted of sociodemographic proforma, Duke University Religious Index (DUREL) for religiosity, Brief RCOPE Scale for RC and General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12) for psychological disorder; 36% of the participants experienced psychological disorder. Younger age, being a Muslim, living in the Green/Yellow zone and higher negative RC were significantly associated with psychological disorder. Higher positive RC was found to be protective against psychological disorder. However, the level of religiosity had no significant association with psychological disorder. In conclusion, the level of psychological disorder among university students has been high during the pandemic. Measures and interventions focusing on positive RC and reducing negative RC are recommended to improve the psychological well-being.

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Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on psychological well-being of students in an Italian university: a web-based cross-sectional survey

Globalization and Health ◽

10.1186/s12992-021-00680-w ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Leonardo Villani ◽

Roberta Pastorino ◽

Enrico Molinari ◽

Franco Anelli ◽

Walter Ricciardi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

University Students ◽

Well Being ◽

Depression Symptoms ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Psychological Well Being ◽

Self Rating ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background Italy was the first European country to implement a national lockdown because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Worldwide, this pandemic had a huge impact on the mental health of people in many countries causing similar reaction in terms of emotions and concerns at the population level. Our study investigated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on psychological well-being in a cohort of Italian university students. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey in the period immediately after the first lockdown through the administration of a questionnaire on the personal websites of students attending their undergraduate courses at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore. We used the Patient-Health-Engagement-Scale, Self-Rating-Anxiety-Scale, and Self-Rating-Depression-Scale to assess engagement, anxiety symptoms, and depression symptoms of our sample. Results The sample size was 501 subjects, of which 35.33% were classified as anxious and 72.93% as depressed. Over 90% of respondents had good understanding of the preventive measures despite over 70% suffered from the impossibility of physically seeing friends and partners. Around 55% of students would have been willing to contribute much more to face the pandemic. An increase in the occurrences of anxiety was associated with being female, being student of the Rome campus, suffering from the impossibility of attending university, being distant from colleagues, and being unable of physically seeing one’s partner. Performing physical activity reduced this likelihood. Conclusion University students are at risk of psychological distress in the case of traumatic events. The evolution of the pandemic is uncertain and may have long-term effects on mental health. Therefore, it is crucial to study the most effective interventions to identify vulnerable subgroups and to plan for acute and long-term psychological services to control and reduce the burden of psychological problems.

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The COVID‐19 pandemic and healthcare workers psychological well‐being: a cross‐sectional survey in Indonesia

Nursing Open ◽

10.1002/nop2.1034 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ni’matuzahroh ◽

Valendriyani Ningrum ◽

Widayat ◽

Myrtati Dyah Artaria ◽

Mein‐Woei Suen

Keyword(s):

Healthcare Workers ◽

Well Being ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Psychological Well Being

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Association between Socioeconomic Status and Psychological Distress among Rwandan Refugees in Zambia: a Gender Perspective

African Journal of Gender, Society and Development (formerly Journal of Gender, Information and Development in Africa) ◽

10.31920/2634-3622/2021/v10n4a2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 37-59

Author(s):

Victor Mwanamwambwa ◽

Basil Joseph Pillay

Keyword(s):

Socioeconomic Status ◽

Psychological Distress ◽

Financial Support ◽

General Health Questionnaire ◽

Occupational Status ◽

Well Being ◽

Easy Access ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Gender Perspective ◽

Psychological Well Being

Urban refugees face several challenges which affect their emotional, social, and psychological well-being. This study utilised a quantitative cross-sectional design. The study assessed the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and psychological distress from a gender perspective among Rwandan refugees in Lusaka, Zambia. Two hundred and sixty-seven refugees between 18 and 65(M=33.99 years) participated in the study. The sample comprised men (47.9%) and women (52.1%) who were selected from Lusaka townships using purposive and convenience sampling techniques. SES was measured by assessing participants’ educational attainment, occupational status or employment, income, and financial support, whereas subjective psychological distress was evaluated using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28). Framed within the feminist and the ecological systems perspectives, the study established an association between SES and psychological distress. The proportions of female participants in the lower education and unemployment categories and lower-income bracket were considerably higher than males in the same category. Similarly, the study revealed that the proportion of females (27%) with severe depression was higher than males (19%). However, the gender difference was negligible with other subscales such as the somatic symptoms, anxiety and insomnia, and social dysfunction. Bivariate associations revealed well-established gender differences, where women with low education and financial support reported higher levels of psychological distress. Multivariate analysis revealed that employment predicted a lower level of psychological distress in both men and women. The findings highlight that refugees’ access to employment is an essential factor in determining psychological well-being. Well-defined intervention strategies by government and humanitarian bodies are critical and should aim to empower refugees towards easy access to formal and informal labour market opportunities.

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Objectively Measured Sedentary Behavior, Obesity, and Psychological Well-Being: A Cross-Sectional Study of Japanese Schoolchildren

Journal of Physical Activity and Health ◽

10.1123/jpah.2016-0374 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 14 (4) ◽

pp. 270-274 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Kaori Ishii ◽

Ai Shibata ◽

Minoru Adachi ◽

Yoshiyuki Mano ◽

Koichiro Oka

Keyword(s):

Psychological Health ◽

Vigorous Physical Activity ◽

Emotional Problems ◽

Well Being ◽

Self Report ◽

Sedentary Behaviors ◽

Japanese Children ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Psychological Well Being

Background:Sedentary behaviors (SB) are associated with health indicators; however, there are currently very few studies that have examined these associations, especially in conjunction with psychological factors, in children. The current study examined the independent relationship between objectively assessed SB, and indicators of obesity and psychological well-being, among Japanese children.Methods:A total of 967 elementary-school children completed a cross-sectional survey. SB was measured with accelerometers for 7 consecutive days. Psychological well-being data (eg, anxiety and behavior problems) were collected via a self-report questionnaire. To determine the relationship of SB with degree of obesity and psychological well-being, linear regression analyses were conducted to relate the indicators of obesity and psychological well-being on SB, adjusted by gender, grade, percentage of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per day, duration spent wearing the accelerometer, and degree of obesity.Results:SB was significantly related to behavioral/emotional problems (β = .280, P = .010, R2 = .015). There was a statistically significant relationship between SB and anxiety (β = .206, P = .059, R2 = .007). No significant association with degree of obesity was found.Conclusions:Excess SB relates higher levels of behavioral/emotional problems and anxiety. These results can inspire the development of interventions that promote well-being and enhance psychological health, by focusing on SB in Japanese children.

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Psychological well being toward adolescents in disaster-prone areas in Padang city

International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health ◽

10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20204722 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (11) ◽

pp. 4301

Author(s):

Helena Patricia ◽

Chamy Rahmatiqa ◽

Emira Apriyeni

Keyword(s):

Natural Disasters ◽

Family Support ◽

Univariate Analysis ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Well Being ◽

Self Concept ◽

Bivariate Analysis ◽

Post Traumatic Stress ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Psychological Well Being

Background: Indonesia, particularly Padang City, West Sumatra, is a prone-area toward natural disasters related to geographical, geological and demographic conditions. Natural disasters give a very significant impact on physical, psychological and social. The psychological impact that most often appears in disaster cases is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). One who is prone to experiencing PTSD is adolescents. To prevent PTSD from occurring, good psychological well-being is needed. The factors that influence psychological well-being are religiosity, personality, coping strategies, self-concept and social support.Methods: This study is an analytical study with a cross sectional approach. This research was conducted in three disaster-prone districts in Padang City, namely North Padang, South Padang, and Koto Tangah. Data were collected through distributing questionnaires to 156 adolescents who were selected by purposive sampling. Data were collected by questionnaire and analyzed descriptively using univariate analysis, bivariate analysis with chi square test, and multivariate logistic regression analysis.Results: The results of this study found that 85 respondents (54.5%) had low psychological well-being, 98 respondents (62.8%) had low religiosity, 108 respondents (69.2%) had introverted personality types, 105 respondents (67.3%) used emotional focused coping, 90 respondents (57.7%) had negative self-concept and 91 respondents (58.3%) had low family support. The results of the bivariate analysis found a relationship between religiosity (0.000), personality type (0.010), coping strategy (0.00), self-concept (0.035) and family support (0.04) toward psychological well-being.Conclusions: The results of the final multivariate modeling found that adolescents with negative self-concept had 12 times chance of having low psychological well-being in disaster-prone areas in Padang City.

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Risk perception and psychological state of healthcare workers in referral hospitals during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, Uganda

BMC Psychology ◽

10.1186/s40359-021-00706-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Richard Migisha ◽

Alex Riolexus Ario ◽

Benon Kwesiga ◽

Lilian Bulage ◽

Daniel Kadobera ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Psychological Distress ◽

Risk Perception ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

General Health Questionnaire ◽

Multivariable Analysis ◽

Well Being ◽

Psychological State ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Referral Hospitals

Abstract Background Safeguarding the psychological well-being of healthcare workers (HCWs) is crucial to ensuring sustainability and quality of healthcare services. During the COVID-19 pandemic, HCWs may be subject to excessive mental stress. We assessed the risk perception and immediate psychological state of HCWs early in the pandemic in referral hospitals involved in the management of COVID-19 patients in Uganda. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey in five referral hospitals from April 20–May 22, 2020. During this time, we distributed paper-based, self-administered questionnaires to all consenting HCWs on day shifts. The questionnaire included questions on socio-demographics, occupational behaviors, potential perceived risks, and psychological distress. We assessed risk perception towards COVID-19 using 27 concern statements with a four-point Likert scale. We defined psychological distress as a total score > 12 from the 12-item Goldberg’s General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). We used modified Poisson regression to identify factors associated with psychological distress. Results Among 335 HCWs who received questionnaires, 328 (98%) responded. Respondents’ mean age was 36 (range 18–59) years; 172 (52%) were male. The median duration of professional experience was eight (range 1–35) years; 208 (63%) worked more than 40 h per week; 116 (35%) were nurses, 52 (14%) doctors, 30 (9%) clinical officers, and 86 (26%) support staff. One hundred and forty-four (44%) had a GHQ-12 score > 12. The most common concerns reported included fear of infection at the workplace (81%), stigma from colleagues (79%), lack of workplace support (63%), and inadequate availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) (56%). In multivariable analysis, moderate (adjusted prevalence ratio, [aPR] = 2.2, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2–4.0) and high (aPR = 3.8, 95% CI 2.0–7.0) risk perception towards COVID-19 (compared with low-risk perception) were associated with psychological distress. Conclusions Forty-four percent of HCWs surveyed in hospitals treating COVID-19 patients during the early COVID-19 epidemic in Uganda reported psychological distress related to fear of infection, stigma, and inadequate PPE. Higher perceived personal risk towards COVID-19 was associated with increased psychological distress. To optimize patient care during the pandemic and future outbreaks, workplace management may consider identifying and addressing HCW concerns, ensuring sufficient PPE and training, and reducing infection-associated stigma.

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Resettled Bhutanese Refugees in Ottawa: What Coping Strategies Promote Psychological Well-Being?

Canadian Journal of Nursing Research ◽

10.1177/0844562119828905 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 51 (3) ◽

pp. 168-178 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Anita Subedi ◽

Dana S. Edge ◽

Catherine L. Goldie ◽

Monakshi Sawhney

Keyword(s):

Coping Strategies ◽

Well Being ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

Psychological Well Being ◽

Bhutanese Refugees ◽

Self Blame ◽

Brief Cope ◽

Positive Reframing

Background Since 2008, Bhutanese refugees have been resettled in Canada, including Ottawa. This relocation and resettling process is associated with significant physical and psychological stress, as individuals acclimatize to a new country. Purpose To assess the relationship between coping strategies and psychological well-being of Bhutanese refugees resettled in Ottawa. Methods A cross-sectional survey utilizing a convenience sample of adults (n = 110) was conducted in the fall of 2015 in Ottawa. Two tools, Brief COPE and general well-being schedule were used. Results Bhutanese refugees were in moderate distress. Using multiple linear regression, age, education, and three coping strategies (positive reframing, self-blame, and venting) were identified as predictors of general well-being ( F (11, 96) = 3.61, p < .001, R2 = 21.2%). Higher levels of education and positive reframing were associated with greater general well-being scores, while self-blame and well-being between ages 41 and 50 years were inversely associated with general well-being. Conclusions Findings suggest that a broad intersectorial approach between nurses and partner agencies is needed to enhance the mental health of this population for better adjustment in the host country. Nurses could provide support and counseling to minimize the use of self-blame and venting and promote positive coping strategies.

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Prevalence of borderline personality disorder and its association with demographic factors among university students of Pakistan

International Journal of Agricultural Extension ◽

10.33687/009.01.3499 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Hafsa Hayee ◽

Tahira Raana ◽

Imran I. Haider

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Borderline Personality Disorder ◽

Personality Disorder ◽

University Students ◽

Educational Institution ◽

Demographic Factors ◽

Borderline Personality ◽

Psychological Disorder ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a psychological disorder, which could cause severe problems in self-functioning, emotion regulation, and interpersonal relationships. This study aimed to assess BPD among university students and evaluating the association of BPD with demographic factors among the students. Three private sector universities were selected from Lahore. A cross-sectional survey was conducted by using questionnaire composed of demographic factors (gender, age and university) and Borderline Personality Inventory (BPI- cut 20). An estimated data of 700 undergraduates was collected through stratified sampling technique. The collected data was analyzed through SPSS (Version 17). There were (46%) males and (54%) female participants, whose mean age was 21 ± 1.81 years, at the time of data collection. The findings indicated, BPD (≥10) in majority (62%) of the participants. BPD was more prevalent among the age group of 18-21 years. Application of the Chi-square test confirmed non-significant association (p 0.05) between age, and gender, with BPD. The strength of the relationship was assessed through the odds ratio (OR). Association between gender and BPD (OR= 1.026, CI= 0.755-1.392) and age and BPD (OR= 0.880, CI= 0.637-1.216), university and BPD (OR= 0.531, CI=0.381-0.742) reported a statistically significant association with BPD (p0.001). Further the Logistic regression affirmed, impact of rank, of the educational institution (university) had significant effect on prevalence of BPD. Therefore, it is concluded that students (young adults) are more at risk of being affected by BPD, who are studying in the universities with higher socio-economic status. So, it can be supposed that environment (rank, location and circumstances) of the university is one of the dominating factors playing a significant role in the prevalence of BPD among young adults.

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Positive Thinking, School Adjustment and Psychological Well-being among Chinese College Students

The Open Psychology Journal ◽

10.2174/1874350102013010151 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 151-159

Author(s):

Raymond C.F. Chui ◽

Chi-K. Chan

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Life Satisfaction ◽

School Adjustment ◽

Well Being ◽

Positive Thinking ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Psychological Well Being ◽

Chinese College Students ◽

College Going

Background: Previous studies have found that traditional positive Chinese beliefs contribute to the maintenance of the quality of life. It is interesting to explore the functions of positive thinking on stress in the Chinese context in order to test whether positive thinking influences the psychological well-being of college students. Objective: This study aims to examine the associations between positive thinking, school adjustment, and the psychological well-being of Chinese college-going students. It investigates the moderating role of positive thinking in the effects of poor school adjustment on stress and well-being. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was administered to 299 male and 396 female college students aged 17-28 years across eight universities of Hong Kong. Results: Results confirmed that school adjustment was negatively related to stress (β= -.194) and positively related to life satisfaction ( β = .074). It was also indirectly related to psychological distress via stress ( β = -.194; β = .620). Moreover, positive thinking was a moderator to the relationships between school adjustment and stress ( β = .011) and to the relationships between school adjustment and life satisfaction ( β = -.009). School adjustment was more related to stress at higher levels of positive thinking while it was more related to life satisfaction at lower levels of positive thinking. Conclusion: These results suggested that enhancing positive thinking is beneficial to Chinese college-going students’ psychological well-being. Therefore, student services at universities can consider organizing workshops to educate and promote the appropriate use of positive thinking for students to alleviate their stress and enhance their psychological well-being.

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Usability Factors Associated With Physicians’ Distress and Information System–Related Stress: Cross-Sectional Survey

JMIR Medical Informatics ◽

10.2196/13466 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 (4) ◽

pp. e13466 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Tarja Heponiemi ◽

Sari Kujala ◽

Suvi Vainiomäki ◽

Tuulikki Vehko ◽

Tinja Lääveri ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Information Systems ◽

General Health Questionnaire ◽

Well Being ◽

Perceived Benefits ◽

User Friendliness ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Technical Problems ◽

Usability Problems ◽

Low Levels

Background Constantly changing and difficult-to-use information systems have arisen as a significant source of stress in physicians’ work. Physicians have reported several usability problems, system failures, and a lack of integration between the systems and have experienced that systems poorly support the documentation and retrieval of patient data. This stress has kept rising in the 21st century, and it seems that it may also affect physicians’ well-being. Objective This study aimed to examine the associations of (1) usability variables (perceived benefits, technical problems, support for feedback, and user-friendliness), (2) the number of systems in daily use, (3) experience of using information systems, and (4) participation in information systems development work with physicians’ distress and levels of stress related to information systems (SRIS) levels. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 4018 Finnish physicians (64.82%, 2572 out of 3968 women) aged between 24 and 64 years (mean 46.8 years) in 2017. The analyses of covariance were used to examine the association of independent variables with SRIS and distress (using the General Health Questionnaire) adjusted for age, gender, employment sector, specialization status, and the electronic health record system in use. Results High levels of technical problems and a high number of systems in daily use were associated with high levels of SRIS, whereas high levels of user-friendliness, perceived benefits, and support for feedback were associated with low levels of SRIS. Moreover, high levels of technical problems were associated with high levels of psychological distress, whereas high levels of user-friendliness were associated with low distress levels. Those who considered themselves experienced users of information systems had low levels of both SRIS and distress. Conclusions It seems that by investing in user-friendly systems with better technical quality and good support for feedback that professionals perceive as being beneficial would improve the work-related well-being and overall well-being of physicians. Moreover, improving physicians’ skills related to information systems by giving them training could help to lessen the stress that results from poorly functioning information systems and improve physicians’ well-being.

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