ABSTRACT
In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic experienced around the world, new student lifestyles have had an impact on their daily behavior. The purpose of this study was to examine post-traumatic stress associated with the initial COVID-19 crisis in students (N = 280) with a mean age of 13 +/- 1.70 and to determine the relationship between their reported daily behaviors in terms of their gender. The study was conducted primarily in Casablanca and Marrakech, the two cities most affected by the pandemic at the time of the study in Morocco in May 2020. Our sample consists of 133 high school students and 147 middle school students, 83.6% of whom are females. Students were asked to answer questions based on an Activity Biorhythm Questionnaire, the Post-Traumatic Stress Scale (Weathers et al., 1993), the Hamilton Scale (Hamilton, 1960), the Worry Domains Questionnaire (Tallis, Eyzenck, Mathews, 1992), and the Visual Analog Scale of Moods (VASM) (Stern et al., 1997). The results obtained confirm that there is a significant relationship between the circadian rhythm of some variables and gender in some activities such as academic study (p < 0.05) and TV and Internet use (p < 0.05) and was highly significant for physical activity (p = 0.001), while others are not significant in relation to other schedules of the same variables or in relation to others. Likewise, for the psychological conditions, significant relationships with mood states and depressive tendencies were confirmed. In lockdown, the students' daily lives underwent changes in circadian rhythm and lifestyle. Therefore, it is necessary to treat their current psychological problems and avoid future complications. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
This study examined the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on 16 LGBTQ+ individuals 16 -18 years of age in rural Washington. Data were collected using semi structured virtual interviews, an Experience Questionnaire (EQ) and the Behavioral Assessment Scale for Children - Edition 3 Behavioral and Emotional Screening System (BASC-3). A few major themes emerged from the data: changes in relationships, negative psychological impacts, resiliency, and challenges such as barriers, tensions, and routine changes. Participants found COVID-19 restrictions created barriers to accessing social outlets such as extracurricular activities, LGBTQ+ community center, and so on, as well as engaging with resources for mental and physical health. Participants reported that navigating the significant changes in routines due to school closings and social distancing measures negatively impacted their mental health. Online school, increased home responsibilities, lack of structure or routine, and pressure to maintain grades were the main stressors found to contribute to a decline in mental health. Tensions related to having differing opinions from family members were often triggered or exacerbated by increased proximity with family, due to being stuck at home. Tensions also included experiences of homophobia, transphobia, and racism. These tensions contributed to lower mental health, as many participants felt "trapped" in their own home and unable to reveal parts of their identity. Participants reported that COVID-19 restrictions also impacted their relationships positively in some ways. Some participants found that COVID-19 restrictions allowed them to get out of negative relationships, identify healthy or positive friendships, and be more intentional in their friendships. Although most participants experienced negative psychological impacts on their mental health, many were also able to identify areas of resiliency and improvement. Participants identified new methods for coping, found new and innovative ways to engage with support networks, and found that increased time alone allowed for self-improvement and unprecedented identity exploration. Results of the study add to the limited research currently available about the impact COVID-19 restrictions had on LGBTQ+ youth in rural areas and provide critical information for professionals who work with school-aged LGBTQ+ populations, especially those living in rural communities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Objectives: Due to the rise of depressive symptomatology especially among vulnerable populations such as young adults during the COVID-19 outbreak, a reliable measuring tool is needed. Because of the lack of such studies, the authors decided to validate the 8-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D 8) among Czech university students capturing the beginning of lockdown experience. Statistical analyses: Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted and structural equation modelling with diagonally weighted least squares estimation using lavaan was employed. Different hypotheses about the dimensionality of the CES-D 8 scale were tested. The authors assessed the measurement equivalence of the CES-D 8 scale according to gender using multigroup confirmatory factor analysis. The effect of socio-demographic and COVID-19 issues variables on depression was examined. Results: One dimensional model with correlated errors showed sufficient validity and therefore, the best fit. Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis results revealed that the factor structure is invariant across gender. Women and those who reported financial distress and academic stress showed a higher level of depressive symptomatology. On the other hand, relationships proved to have a protective effect. Limitations: The sample came from an online survey, respondents were self-selected. There was a gender imbalance in the sample that cannot be explained by a higher number of women in the Czech university environment. Conclusions: The CES-D 8 proved to be a useful instrument for measuring depressed mood that opens further possibilities for depression research in the university environment and during pandemic situations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Czech) Cile: Vzhledem k narustu depresivni sympto-matologie behem pandemie covid-19 zejmena u zranitelnych skupin, jako jsou mladi dospeli, narostla potrebnost spolehliveho nastroje na mereni depresivity. Z duvodu chybejici validizace se autori rozhodli overit osmipolozkovou skalu Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D 8) u ceskych vysokoskolskych studentu v dobe sameho pocatku pandemie. Statisticke analyzy: Byla provedena konfirmacni faktorova analyza za pouziti strukturniho modelovani metodou DWLS (diagonally weighted least squares) pomoci baliku laavan. Byly testovany ruzne hypotezy o dimenzionalite skaly CES-D 8. Pomoci MCFA (multigroup confirmatory factor analysis) autori posuzovali ekvivalenci mereni skaly CES-D 8 podle pohlavi. Byl zkouman vliv sociodemografickych promennych a promennych tykajicich se problematiky covid-19 na depresivni symptoma-tologii. Vysledky: Jednodimenzionalni model s korelo-vanymi rezidualnimi rozptyly u dvou polozek prokazal dostatecnou validitu a nejlepe odpovidal datum. Vysledky MCFA ukazaly, ze faktorova struktura zvoleneho modelu byla invariantni vzhledem k pohlavi. Zeny a osoby, ktere byly ve financni nouzi nebo prozivaly zvyseny stres ze studia, vykazovaly vyssi uroven depresivni symptomatologie. Naopak partnersky vztah se ukazal mit protektivni efekt. Limity prace: Vzorek pochazi z online pruzku-mu, respondenti byli vybrani samovyberem. Nadreprezentaci zen-studentek v datech nelze zduvodnit vyssim podilem zen na ceskych univerzitach. Zaver: CES-D 8 se ukazal byt uzitecnym nastro-jem pro mereni depresivity, jenz otevira dalsi moznosti pro vyzkum deprese v univerzitnim prostredi a behem pandemickych situaci. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
The Covid-19 pandemic is having a great impact on people's mental health all over the world. Adolescents have been facing several potential stressors. The aim of this study was to explore how Portuguese adolescents were perceiving the Covid-19 outbreak and the relationship between the perceived impact of the pandemic and mental health. Participants were 130 adolescents (97 girls) who completed online questionnaires about the Covid-19 pandemic and the DASS-21. Around 73% of the adolescents agreed that the Covid-19 pandemic affected their lives and 45% felt emotionally affected. Feeling uncomfortable around family during quarantine was correlated with depression (r = .39), anxiety (r = .44), and stress symptoms (r = .37), and feeling capable to deal with the pandemic was negatively correlated with psychopathological symptoms. Girls seemed to be more emotionally affected. Results revealed the negative effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on Portuguese adolescents' mental health. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Portuguese) A pandemia de Covid-19 esta a ter um grande impacto na saude mental das pessoas em todo o mundo. Os adolescentes tem enfrentado diversos potenciais stressores. O objectivo deste estudo foi explorar como os adolescentes portugueses percecionaram o surto do Covid-19 e a relacao entre o impacto percebido da pandemia e a saude mental. Os participantes foram 130 adolescentes (97 do sexo feminino) que responderam a questionarios online sobre a pandemia de Covid-19 e DASS-21. Cerca de 73% dos adolescentes concordaram que a pandemia afectou as suas vidas e 45% sentiu-se emocionalmente afectado. Sentir-se desconfortavel perto da familia durante a quarentena mostrou-se correlacionado com sintomas de depressao (r = .39), ansiedade (r = .44) e stress (r = .37) e sentir-se capaz de lidar com a pandemia esteve negativamente correlacionado com sintomas psicopatologicos. Adolescentes do sexo feminino pareceram ficar mais emocionalmente afectadas. Esses resultados apontam para o efeito negativo da pandemia de Covid-19 na saude mental dos adolescentes portugueses. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Spanish) La pandemia de Covid-19 esta teniendo un gran impacto en la salud mental de las personas. Los adolescentes se han enfrentado a varios posibles estresores. El objetivo de este estudio fue explorar como los adolescentes portugueses percibieron el brote de Covid-19 y la relacion entre el impacto percibido de la pandemia y la salud mental. Los participantes fueron 130 adolescentes (97 mujeres) que respondieron cuestionarios online sobre la pandemia Covid-19 y DASS-21. 73% de los adolescentes estuvo de acuerdo en que la pandemia de Covid-19 afecto sus vidas y el 45% se sintio emocionalmente afectado. Sentirse incomodo con la familia durante la cuarentena se correlaciono con sintomas de depresion (r = .39), ansiedad (r = .44) y estres (r = .37), y sentirse capaz de lidiar con la pandemia se correlaciono negativamente con los sintomas psicopatologicos. Las adolescentes parecian estar mas emocionalmente afectadas. Estos resultados apuntan al efecto negativo de la pandemia Covid-19 en la salud mental de los adolescentes portugueses. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Although it is thought that Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection does not clinically affect children as severely as adults, the short and long-term psychological effects on adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic are quite significant. The aim of the present study is to determine the prevalence of anxiety and depression and related factors in high school students during the COVID-19 pandemic. In June and July 2020, 506 high school students from two different provinces were included in the present study. A questionnaire form including sociodemographic characteristics, 'Child Depression Scale' and 'State-Trait Anxiety Scale' were applied online. Univariate and multivariate analyzes were used in data analysis, and p<0.05 was accepted as significance level. Depression prevalence was 22.9 %, median trait anxiety score was 44, and median state anxiety score was 39. Low-income level, think of themselves or the household was at risk, using information sources other than health professionals, high screen time, high mother coronavirus stress score and low family communication score were shown to increase depression. Higher school grades, not regularly exercising, think of themselves or the household were at risk, staying alone at home, high mother's and father's coronavirus stress scores and low family communication score were shown to increase state anxiety. Adolescents highly suffer from psychological outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is essential to involve the family in planning and implementing early mental health interventions during the pandemic, especially as parent-related factors affect children's psychological state. During the social isolation period, it is recommended to organize indoor exercise programs for children and adolescents, limit the time spent in front of the screen, and improve communication with family members. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Turkish) Koronavirus Hastaligi 2019 (COVID-19) klinik olarak cocuklari eriskin bireyler kadar etkilemese de COVID-19 pandemisinin adolesanlar uzerindeki kisa ve uzun donem etkileri oldukca onemlidir. Bu calismanin amaci COVID- 19 pandemisinde lise ogrencilerinin depresyon ve anksiyete sikligi ile etkileyen faktorlerin belirlenmesidir. Calismaya Haziran-Temmuz 2020 tarihlerinde 2 farkli ilden 506 lise ogrencisi dahil edilmistir ve sosyodemografik ozellikleri iceren bir soru formu, 'Cocuk Depresyon Olcegi' ve 'Durumluk-Surekli Anksiyete Olcegi' online olarak uygulanmistir. Veri analizinde tek degiskenli ve cok degiskenli analizler uygulanmis olup p<0.05 anlamlilik duzeyi olarak kabul edilmistir. Depresyon sikligi %22.9, surekli anksiyete olcek puani ortanca degeri 44, durumluk anksiyete olcek ortanca degeri 39 olarak bulunmustur. Dusuk gelir duzeyi, kendinin ya da ayni evde yasadigi kisilerin risk altinda oldugunu dusunme, bilgi kaynagi olarak saglik profesyonelleri disindaki kaynaklarin kullanilmasi, uzamis ekran suresi, koronavirusle ilgili anne stres puaninin yuksek olmasi, aile ici iletisim puaninin dusuk olmasinin depresyon sikligini artirdigi gosterilmistir. Daha yuksek okul sinifi, duzenli egzersiz yapmama, kendinin ya da ayni evde yasadigi kisilerin risk altinda oldugunu dusunme, evde yalniz kalma, koronavirusle ilgili anne ve baba stres puaninin yuksek olmasi ve aile ici iletisim puaninin dusuk olmasinin anksiyete puanini artirdigi gosterilmistir. Adolesanlar COVID-19 pandemisinin psikolojik sonuclarindan oldukca muzdariptir. Ozellikle ebeveyn iliskili faktorlerin cocuklarin psikolojik durumunu etkiledigi goruldugunden, pandemide erken ruh sagligi mudahalelerinin planlanmasi ve uygulanmasinda ailenin dahil edilmesi onemlidir. Sosyal izolasyon doneminde cocuk ve ergenler icin ev ici egzersiz programlarinin duzenlenmesi, ekran basinda gecen surenin kisitlanmasi, aile bireyleri ile iletisimin iyilestirilmesi onerilmektedir. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
This study aimed to better understand psychological adaptation processes of elite athletes, and specifically how stress appraisal and coping processes are dynamically interrelated and the extent to which their dynamic relationship is associated with performance and burnout among an artistic swimming team during the qualification phase for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics conducted in summer 2021. Fifteen elite artistic swimmers (Mage = 21 years, SDage = 3 years) completed an online questionnaire once a week measuring perceived stress, stress mindset, individual and collective perception of control, individual and interpersonal coping strategies, performance, and burnout (i.e., 19 time-points, January-May 2021). Results of multilevel analyses showed that (a) mastery coping mediated the association between stress mindset and reduced sense of accomplishment, (b) goal-withdrawal coping mediated the association between stress mindset and negative feelings toward sport, and (c) interpersonal management of emotions mediated the association between collective perception of control and collective performance. This study provides new knowledge about the psychological adaptation processes of elite athletes during the particularly stressful Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games qualification phase. Furthermore, it highlights the need to longitudinally and frequently assess changes in psychological adaptation processes in relation to burnout and performance fluctuations in order to prevent burnout development and a deterioration in individual or team performance, especially in extended challenging situations experienced by elite athletes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
This study, using both the cross-lagged and synchronous effects models, examined the temporal and causal relationships between attachment and other critical psychological variables (loneliness, mental health) in university students under the restrictive conditions of campus activities due to COVID-19. The participants of the analysis were 150 university students (88 males, 62 females) who responded to two web surveys three months apart: one in early May 2020 and the other in late July or early August 2020. The main findings were: (a) AIC and BIC indicated that the cross-lagged effects model fit the data better than the synchronous effects model;(b) attachment anxiety had a negative cross-lagged effect on mental health three months later;and (c) loneliness had a positive cross lagged effect on attachment avoidance three months later. This study's academic contribution was to extend the previous findings about the interrelationships over time in a potentially attachment-related threat situation, the COVID-19 pandemic, and to clarify whether attachment influences loneliness and mental health in this situation or vice versa. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
During the COVID-19 pandemic the Costa Rican educational system has adapted classes to a virtual model;furthermore, evidence has supported the existence of technological, digital, and educational gaps among students. The aim of the present study is to identify sociodemographic, psychosocial, technological, and digital characteristics associated with the adolescents' satisfaction with virtual classes during the pandemic. Using a cross-sectional de- sign, an online questionnaire was filled out by 14- to 18-year-old adolescents (n = 128, 63.3% girls, Mage = 16.2, SDage = 0.593) from public and private high schools. Results showed that only perceived support, self-efficacy, and socioeconomic status (SES) were significantly (positively) correlated with satisfaction with virtual classes. Also, it was found that a model that accounts for satisfaction in terms of perceived support and self-efficacy is better than one that includes SES as another explanatory variable. These results show some insights for making virtual learning a more satisfying experience for adolescents. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Spanish) Durante la pandemia por COVID-19, el sistema educativo costarricense ha adaptado las clases a una modalidad virtual;ademas, hay evidencia de brechas tecnologicas, digitales y educativas entre la poblacion estudiantil. El objetivo del presente estudio fue identificar las caracteristicas sociodemograficas, psicosociales, tecnologicas y digitales asociadas al nivel de satisfaccion de adolescentes en Costa Rica con las clases virtuales durante la pandemia. Se empleo un diseno transversal y se aplico un cuestionario en linea a adolescentes de entre 14 y 18 anos (n = 128, 63.3% mujeres, M edad = 16.2, DEedad = 0.593) de colegios publicos y privados. Se encontro que solo el apoyo percibido, la autoeficacia hacia las clases virtuales y el nivel socioeconomico (NSE) se correlacionan significativamente (de forma positiva) con la satisfaccion con las clases virtuales. Ademas, se hallo que un modelo que explica la variabilidad en la satisfaccion a partir del apoyo percibido y la autoeficacia hacia las clases virtuales es mejor que uno que tambien incluya el NSE como variable predictora. Los resultados muestran indicios sobre la forma de hacer mas satisfactoria la experiencia de las personas adolescentes en el contexto de clases virtuales. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Objective: Targeted public health campaigns are important in countries where health resources are limited. This is especially the case for countries such as Iraq since decades of sanctions, war and armed conflict have depleted the health system. The current study investigated the influence of sociodemographic characteristics on attitudes towards the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) relating to knowledge and behaviors held by people living in North Iraq. Method: A cross-sectional survey, conducted from 21st March to 12th April 2020, used an online platform. Multivariate analyses were used to examine the relationship between sociodemographic factors and respondents' knowledge, attitude and behavioral practices in response to COVID-19. Results: Respondents with better self-reported health were most likely to report sleep impairment (OR = 2.32,1.49-3.68) impaired eating (OR = 1.84, 1.17-2.95) fear in response to social media news on COVID-19 (OR = 1.92, 1.32-2.81) and were more likely to practice COVID-19 prevention measures (OR= 1.08, 1.01-1.14). On the other hand, those with better self-reported health (OR = 0.4;0.27-0.59) were less likely to report good knowledge on COVID-19 whereas those with higher levels of education (OR= 3.59, 1.29-10.2) claimed to have higher knowledge of COVID-19. Men believed that war was more frightening than COVID-19 (OR = 1.91, 1.33-2.75) compared to woman. Conclusion: Self-reported health and type of employment were the sociodemographic factors most frequently noted to influence knowledge, attitude and behaviors toward COVID-19 amongst the northern Iraqi population. In a country where health resources are scare and stretched because of a history of sanctions and prolonged war and community violence, these results provide directions for targeted approaches to support public health campaigns. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed life for millions of people. The social-emotional consequences of the confinement need to be analysed urgently. This study examines self-perceived resilience and its most important determining factors in a sample of university students facing COVID confinement. The measuring instrument used is the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, divided into four factors and applied to a sample of 253 graduate and postgraduate students. Different methods of descriptive statistics and statistical hypothesis testing were used to calculate the results with the statistical program SPSS-22. The results showed generally high levels of resilience among the university students analysed, irrespective of socio-demographic variables. Factor analysis shows resilience to be highest among male students and those over 25. Self-perceived resilience was also higher among students who lived alone or with people other than their parents. Finally, students of the health sciences were more likely to adapt to change, deal with today's challenges, and think of themselves as people capable of bouncing back after hardship. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
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As participation in electronic sports (esports) continues to expand globally, colleges and universities are considering how such competitive video gaming might impact recruitment, retention, and the overall student engagement experience. This mixed-methods study focuses on the perceptions of college students in both the United States and Italy regarding the esports phenomenon. A compilation of the research findings from two case studies compared and contrasted themes associated with the benefits and risks to college students participating in esports. The findings highlighted the notion that even during challenging times such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the college students in this study were still driven to invest their time in esports play. However, the risks such as those of addiction, health impairment, and social isolation may outweigh the perceived benefits to game play. Included are critical considerations and policy recommendations for campus esports programs as well as future directions in research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
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The paper aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of organisation management while telecommuting. With exploratory factor analysis (EFA), we define the specific set of telework organising efficiency characteristics. We determined the number of factors with Kaiser Eigenvalues rule as well as Cattel's scree criterion. We conducted the study in Lithuania, the country with a low percentage of teleworkers until organisations have been urged to properly implement their performance to remote means after the COVID-19 quarantine was announced. This paper reveals that the fundamental challenges of teleworking are the feedback issues related to working accomplishment, especially to the task and process overload, and individual self-organisation ability. Moreover, the flexibility of work organisation represents a unique characteristic of telework, and managers should cooperate more effectively with teleworkers to keep them motivated. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
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During the coronavirus pandemic, this study aimed to investigate the impact of conspiracy beliefs on Finnish attitudes toward vaccinations in general and COVID-19 vaccinations in particular. This study was a conceptual replication in Finland of a study by Pivetti et al. (2021). Some 529 Finnish participants responded to a self-report questionnaire during the partial lockdown in Finland in spring 2020. The hypothesized relationships between variables of interest were integrated in a serial multiple mediation model via structural equation modelling. Results showed that endorsing general conspiracy beliefs directly predicted (1) general attitudes toward vaccines and (2) COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs, and indirectly predicted (3) attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccines via the serial mediation of COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs and general attitudes toward vaccines. As for the antecedents of beliefs in conspiracy theories, political orientation and moral purity predicted beliefs in COVID-19 conspiracy theories. Trust in science was inversely related to general conspiracy beliefs. As for the consequences of conspiracy beliefs, COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs directly predicted support for governmental restrictions (negatively) and the perception of informational contamination (positively). (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
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Purpose: Young adults have been particularly adversely affected by COVID-19-related disruptions, especially in relation to industries with an over-representation of young adults. This study, a report, aims to discuss the findings from survey data from young adults who reported poorer mental health comparative to older generations prior to the pandemic. Drawing on the international literature and the research findings, the authors propose recommendations for rebuilding the workplace post-pandemic to support young adult's mental health. Design/methodology/approach: Data from 1,999 respondents from 200 organisations in the UK were sought in relation to workplace well-being and mental health through a 15-item multiple choice online survey. Overall, 17% of the sample were senior management, 31% junior management, 37% in non-management roles and a further 15% stated "other". Exploratory quantitative analyses were undertaken to assess differences in responses to questions between age groups. Findings: Participants in the 16-25-year-old age group were more likely than any other age group to report that work adversely affected their mental health, that their mental health challenges influenced their performance at work, that they had witnessed colleagues' employment negatively influenced by mental health challenges and they felt more comfortable citing physical health challenges for absence than mental health difficulties. Originality/value: COVID-19-related disruptions meant a large-scale move to remote working for many people. As we return to physical workplaces, we have an exciting opportunity to reform and improve the status quo. The findings, in relation to the mental health of young adults, highlight key risk factors that need to be addressed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
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The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of premenstrual dysphoric disorder in Iranian women, its relationship with difficulty in emotional regulation as well as women's attitudes toward menstruation and the change in the severity of premenstrual dysphoric disorder and difficulty in emotion regulation during Covid 19 pandemic. The research method was descriptive-correlational and the statistical population was Iranian women of menstrual age in 2021, from which 287 people were selected. The research tools were demographic information form, difficulty in emotion regulation scale and premenstrual symptoms screening tool. Premenstrual dysphoric disorder were found to be higher than premenstrual syndrome, and most women considered menstruation to be normal for normal health. Symptoms were also unchanged during the Covid 19 Pandemic in most women. The highest frequency of severe premenstrual symptoms was related to fatigue/ lack of energy and the lowest frequency was related to insomnia. Based on regression analysis, difficulty in emotion regulation explained 16% of the changes in premenstrual symptoms and dimensions of difficulties engaging in goal-directed behaviors and lack of emotional clarity together explained 18% of the changes. Therefore, considering the predictive role of emotion regulation, designing interventions to regulate women's emotion may be able to reduce premenstrual symptoms. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
College can be a trying and difficult time for many students, and some experience increased levels of stress and mental health challenges during college. Finding opportunities that increase students' flourishing may assist with offsetting the stress of college. Flourishing is defined as having self-perceived success in supportive relationships, optimism, feelings of purpose and self-esteem (Diener et al., 2010). Emerging research suggests that serving as a mentor to youth within the community may be associated with college students' flourishing by promoting positive interpersonal connections (Maples et al., 2020). While theoretically promising, empirical research in this area is limited. The aim of this two-study dissertation was to address this gap in the literature by (a) examining the specific experiences of college students participating in a mentoring-based program (e.g., relationships with youth, staff, and peers, personal skill development) that contributed to flourishing (i.e., Study 1), (b) testing whether participation in a service-learning course where college students mentor youth within the community was associated with higher flourishing as compared to college students not enrolled in the course (i.e., Study 2), and (c) testing whether mental health challenges (i.e., anxiety and depression) moderated the effect of youth mentoring service-learning on flourishing (i.e., Study 2). Participants (N = 9;all female) for Study 1 were recruited from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities YMCA (UY) Y Tutors program, a voluntary youth mentoring program where college students from the University of Minnesota mentor youth in an after school setting. Following a descriptive qualitative mixed method phenomenological study, I identified aspects of the mentoring experience that appear to have contributed to college students' experience of flourishing. Specifically, participants in this study described positive relationships and active engagement, a sense of purpose, hope for their future and opportunities for personal and professional growth related to their experiences at the UY. Participants (N=563;17-41 years old;Mage=20.06) for Study 2 were recruited from a university service-learning youth mentoring program (Campus Connections;CC) at Colorado State University (CSU) and from a participant pool at CSU (psychology courses and HDFS courses). CC is an on-campus mentoring intervention that serves at-risk youth by providing mentoring relationships with college students at CSU, however in this study all mentoring was conducted online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a pre-post, quasi-experimental design, I investigated the differences in post-intervention flourishing scores between college students enrolled in CC compared to college students not enrolled in the program controlling for identified covariates and baseline flourishing. Additionally, I explored whether baseline mental health challenges (i.e., anxiety and depression) moderated the impact of youth mentoring service-learning on flourishing. Findings indicate that participating in a service-learning youth mentoring program had a positive impact on flourishing scores, and mental health challenges (i.e., anxiety and depression) did not moderate the relationship CC had on flourishing. Future research should continue to investigate the relationships between participating in youth mentoring, flourishing and mental health challenges, as well as further understanding the unique components of youth mentoring programs that lead to flourishing. Together, these studies advance the understanding of how participating in a youth mentoring program impacts flourishing for college students and holds important implications for mentoring programs and university personnel. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Norwegian teachers and school leaders had to organise and provide homeschooling for their students from March to May 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey conducted in May 2020 examined lower secondary school students' experiences of distance learning. How students at different levels of academic achievement (based on grades) experienced homeschooling was compared to comparable findings from a survey conducted on students from the same schools during the autumn of 2018. The findings indicate that students experienced less support and feedback from their teachers during homeschooling, and that teachers gave more written than oral feedback to the students during homeschooling than they do in regular school. Furthermore, there was a tendency of lower efforts and self-efficacy among low-achieving students, which might be difficult to reverse when schools reopen. The findings raise growing concerns about homeschooling leading to a larger gap between high- and low-achieving students in lower secondary school. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Adolescent girls have reached unprecedented levels of success in today's society. Simultaneously, many adolescent girls face adversities and their mental health remains a concern (Schramal et al., 2010;Spencer et al., 2018;). Positive Youth Development scholars continues to explore how society can best support adolescent girls as they navigate key developmental milestones (Lerner et al., 2005;Damon, 2004). Importantly, research has solidified a number of benefits of Youth Purpose (i.e., a long-term, committed, directed aspiration, with a prosocial desire). Youth Purpose is considered a key developmental asset, and contributes to thriving. Indeed, having a sense of purpose can serve as a protective factor for individuals and help bolster their overall well-being (Liang et al., 2018;Liang et al, 2017;Damon et al., 2003). Youth purpose along with Post Traumatic Growth can positively impact individuals facing adversities (Kashdan & McKnight, 2009;Tedeschi & Lawrence, 2004). Similarly, mentoring relationships are associated with numerous positive outcomes including the development of purpose (Dubois & Rhodes, 2006;Lerner, 2004;Liang et al., 2017). While youth purpose is well documented (Damon et al., 2003;Hill et al., 2010), there is limited research on purpose development for adolescent girls from marginalized backgrounds. Given the profound benefits of purpose, additional research is warranted on how purpose is cultivated in marginalized adolescent girls. This dissertation sought to expand the literature and better understand how adversity relates to purpose development, during the adolescent years and how mentoring relationships can contribute to this development. Additional research is needed to focus on one of the most vulnerable populations, adolescent girls from marginalized backgrounds, and to discover ways to help protect their mental health and well- being as they continue to thrive in society. This study included 13 interviews with adolescent girls from marginalized backgrounds. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data and five major themes emerged. Analyses suggested that while these participants experiences endured adverse experiences, they maintained a positive outlook on life, and their future. With the help of their mentors, and through the development of critical consciousness, participants were able to utilize adverse experiences to help inform their sense of purpose. Data was collected during the COVID-19 pandemic. This crucial time period allowed for the collection of exemplary data, which revealed how adolescent girls utilized the pandemic as a time for self-growth, and how they conceptualized their purpose with respect to the pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
This study evaluated the Health Theory of Coping (Stallman, 2020) through an examination of the mediating role of healthy and unhealthy coping in the prediction of mental health from pandemic-related academic challenges. A total of 1317 (77% female) university students completed three questionnaires online. Hayes' Model 4 of parallel mediation was employed to analyze the mediation of healthy and unhealthy coping between academic challenges and mental health in the second quarter of 2020. Findings suggested that students experienced academic challenges in the sudden shift to online classes in the early months of COVID-19 pandemic. These challenges were associated with poor mental health, less use of healthy coping strategies, and an increased use of unhealthy coping strategies. Results also showed that both healthy and unhealthy coping partially mediated academic challenges and mental health. This implies that the challenges of adapting to the demands of online classes lessened the participants' ability to use healthy ways of coping, (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Concerns about student persistence in online college courses have increased since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examined factors associated with self-selection into asynchronous versus synchronous online course sections and effects of course format, self-efficacy, and self-regulatory behaviors on course withdrawal rates and final grades in Introductory Psychology. We assessed learning outcomes of students (N = 563, Mean age = 20.3 years) enrolled in Introductory Psychology at a nonselective, minority-serving institution in Spring 2021. Half of the sections were fully asynchronous;half met synchronously via Zoom. Students enrolled in asynchronous sections were more often first semester students;asynchronous students were less likely to access the online textbook or check Blackboard settings before submitting their first assignment. While students enrolled in synchronous sections more often reported challenges sustaining attention and motivation, students enrolled in asynchronous sections more often reported difficulties managing coursework and work obligations. Controlling for demographic factors, students in asynchronous sections had a higher risk of withdrawing, as did students with lower self-efficacy and those reporting family obligations. For students completing the course, final grades were associated with accessing the textbook, reading comprehension, and demographics, but not with course format or self-efficacy. These findings provide insight into factors that predict enrollment in online course formats and subsequent associations with learning outcomes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)