First-Year College Students' Mental Health in the Post-COVID-19 Era in Guangxi, China: A Study Demands-Resources Model Perspective

Academic burnout and its association with psychological factors among medical students in Guangxi, China

BACKGROUND

Academic burnout is prevalent among medical students and is directly related to psychological distress. However, little is known about academic burnout among medical students in Guangxi and its associations with psychological health. This study aimed to determine the associations between psychological factors and academic burnout among medical students.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1067 medical students at Guangxi Medical University from November 2023 to April 2024, with a stratified sampling method. Data were collected using web-based online software. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were used to examine the association between psychological factors and academic burnout.

RESULTS

Most of the students were female (55.3%), with a mean age of 20.6 years (SD = 1.4), and the mean overall academic burnout (OAB) was 57.3 (SD = 9.3). More than half (53.1%) reported a learning duration of 8 hours or more per day, and 66.2% reported sufficient reward promotion. Perceived stress was positively associated with OAB (β = 0.203, P < 0.001), whereas self-efficacy and self-esteem were negatively associated with OAB (β = -0.598, P < 0.001 for self-efficacy; β = -0.192, P < 0.001 for self-esteem), after adjusting for all predictors.

CONCLUSION

Academic burnout was influenced by psychological factors such as perceived stress, self-efficacy, and self-esteem. Thus, consideration of these factors could be useful to identify medical students who are susceptible to burnout and poor mental health and design appropriate interventions or university strategies of learning motivation and educational environment to reduce and prevent burnout in this population.

Study on anxiety, depression, and sleep conditions and their interrelations among vocational college students during the COVID-19 pandemic management normalization

Objective

This study investigates the sleep patterns among vocational college students and examines their association with anxiety and depression amidst the ongoing normalization of COVID-19 management strategies.

Methods

In the period of January to February 2022, a comprehensive survey was conducted involving a random sample of 3,300 students. By employing face-to-face interviews, data on general demographics, along with levels of anxiety, depression, and sleep quality, were meticulously gathered and analyzed.

Results

Out of the 3,049 questionnaires deemed valid for analysis, the prevalence rates for anxiety, depression, and insomnia were found to be 9.7, 14.1, and 81.9%, respectively. Through regression analysis, several factors were identified as significant predictors of insomnia: female gender, a self-perceived average or poor family economic status over the last year, moderate psychological stress due to the pandemic and its associated restrictions, extended daily screen time during the pandemic, absence of a routine physical exercise regime, significant disruption or alteration of daily life routines due to the pandemic, presence of anxiety and depression symptoms during the pandemic, and only partial restoration of normal life routines post-pandemic control measures (p < 0.001, p < 0.005, or p < 0.050). A strong correlation was observed among the symptoms of anxiety, depression, and insomnia (all p < 0.001). The correlation between stress and depression, depression and insomnia, and anxiety and insomnia were 0.824, 0.714, 0.620, respectively, (all p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Given the substantial impact of abrupt or prolonged crisis events, it is imperative to develop and implement specific intervention strategies aimed at safeguarding the psychological well-being of college students.

Study demands and resources affect academic well-being and life satisfaction of undergraduate medical students in the Netherlands

INTRODUCTION

Medical students report poor academic well-being in a context of high study demands. Study Demands-Resources theories have outlined mediating processes involving high study demands and low resources to mitigate academic well-being, which is subsequently associated with diminished overall well-being (i.e. life satisfaction). Furthermore, academic well-being and life satisfaction are also affected by interactions between study demands and resources (referred to as moderating processes). However, these mediating and moderating processes clarifying medical students' well-being still need to be investigated. Therefore, this study investigated the mediating role of academic well-being in the associations of study demands and resources with life satisfaction and the moderating role of study demands and resources in relation to academic well-being and life satisfaction among undergraduate medical students.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional survey study, 372 undergraduates from Dutch medical schools participated. The survey included the Study Demands-Resources Scale (workload, growth opportunities and peer support) as well as questionnaires on academic well-being (Utrecht Burnout Scale for students and Utrecht Work Engagement Scale-Student Form) and overall well-being (single item on life satisfaction). Based on Study Demands-Resources theories, (moderated) mediation analyses were performed.

RESULTS

Mediating processes were found as growth opportunities were indirectly associated with higher life satisfaction through lower academic burnout and higher academic engagement. Furthermore, workload was indirectly associated with lower life satisfaction through higher academic burnout. This association was moderated as it became weaker with more perceived peer support.

DISCUSSION

A high workload and limited growth opportunities are associated with suboptimal academic well-being and life satisfaction. Perceiving support from peer students slightly buffers the unfavourable effect of workload on academic burnout and subsequently life satisfaction. To promote academic well-being and life satisfaction in medical students, universities can consider to reduce the workload, to create a supportive learning environment and to offer development opportunities.

Factor structure and measurement invariance of the University Demand-Resource Questionnaire: further evidence from Hungarian university students

Purpose

The present study aimed to further examine the factor structure and measurement invariance of the UDRQ among a sample of Hungarian university students.

Methods

Firstly, the factor structure of the UDRQ was examined among 837 Hungarian university students. Specifically, two measurement models (first-order model and second-order model) were constructed and compared. Secondly, the internal consistency reliability of the UDRQ was examined. Thirdly, measurement invariance of the UDRQ was evaluated across genders. Finally, measurement invariance of the UDRQ was evaluated across two different samples.

Results

It was found that the first-order model outperformed the second-order model and better represented the factor structure of the UDRQ subscales. Results of Cronbach's alpha and Composite Reliability suggested that the internal consistency reliabilities of the two UDRQ subscales were satisfactory. Measurement invariance analysis revealed that the UDRQ measurement model was strict invariant across genders and samples.

Conclusion

The findings of the present study indicated that the UDRQ displayed satisfactory reliability and validity and could be used to assess demands and resources of Hungarian university students.

Longitudinal associations between sense of belonging, imposter syndrome, and first-year college students' mental health

Objective: The first year of college is a time of major changes in social dynamics, raising questions about ways to promote students' mental health. We examined longitudinal associations between students' sense of belonging, imposter syndrome, depressive symptoms, and well-being. Participants: Fifty-eight first-year college students at a university in the United States participated in the study. Methods: Students completed questionnaires during the first 6 months of college (T1) and at the end of the academic year (T2). Results: Greater sense of social and academic belonging was correlated with lower imposter syndrome, depression, and greater well-being at T1. Accounting for T1 measures, lower imposter syndrome predicted greater well-being but not depression at T2. Accounting for T1 mental health, belonging was not a significant predictor of depression or well-being at T2. Conclusion: Increasing sense of belonging and addressing imposter syndrome early in the transition to college may be critical in promoting mental health.

[The Role of Specific Study-Related Demands and Resources to Student Health and Life Satisfaction]

BACKGROUND

Studies report an association between study conditions and student health outcomes. The aim was to investigate the influence of specific study-related demands and resources on self-assessed health.

METHOD

Students of the Technical University of Dresden were surveyed online about their health and their studies. Referring to the Study Demands-Resources Model descriptive and regression analytic methods were applied.

RESULTS

1,312 students were included in the analyses. About one-fifth of participants reported low life satisfaction and high exhaustion. Time and cognitive demands were associated with poorer health, social support and time margin in studies were linked to better health. This relationship was particularly evident with a combination of high demands and low resources.

CONCLUSION

The results provide approaches for preventive measures to strengthen the health of students.

The relation between barrier-free environment perception and campus commuting satisfaction

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic, which began in the last quarter of 2019, has had a significant impact on urban transportation. With increasing demand for urban transport, the internal roads and public spaces of university campuses play an important role in facilitating commuting and communication between various functional zones. While considerable research has been conducted on route planning, pedestrian-vehicle segregation, and safety management in the internal transportation environment of university campuses, empirical investigations exploring barrier-free inclusive campus environment design and the subjective evaluation of road and public space users in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic are lacking. Recent developments in travel behavior models and positive psychology have led to an increased focus on the correlation among subjective perceptions, attitudes, emotions, and commuting satisfaction in urban transportation and planning design.

Methods

To elucidate this relationship, a study was conducted on the new campus of Central South University in Changsha, Hunan Province, China. Using 312 valid samples, a structural equation model was constructed to analyse the relationship between commuting satisfaction and the barrier-free environment perception of university students regarding the internal transportation environment of the campus.

Results

The results revealed that individuals' instantaneous barrier-free environment perceptions and long-term established positive emotions had a significant positive effect on commuting satisfaction. Furthermore, positive emotions were found to mediate the relationship between commuting attitudes induced by COVID-19, barrier-free environment perceptions, and commuting satisfaction.

Discussion

The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for the necessity of accessibility design in the post-COVID era. In addition, this study considers the perspective of users to provide ideas for the planning and construction of barrier-free campus environments that are based on convenient and inclusive design.

Prevalence of and relevant factors for depression and anxiety symptoms among pregnant women on the eastern seaboard of China in the post-COVID-19 era: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Antenatal depression and anxiety symptoms may have negative consequences for both mothers and offspring, and upward trends in the prevalence of these symptoms were especially apparent during the COVID-19 epidemic. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of and relevant factors influencing depressive and anxiety symptoms in Chinese pregnant women in the post-COVID-19 era.

METHODS

We conducted an online survey of 1,963 pregnant women in Jiangsu Province, using a cross-sectional design, and collected their general demographic data. The nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) was used to evaluate depression symptoms, and the seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7) was used to measure anxiety symptoms.

RESULTS

The prevalence of reported antenatal depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and depression combined with anxiety symptoms was 25.2%, 27.9%, and 18.6%, respectively. Of the respondents, the prevalence of moderate to severe depression, and anxiety was 7.9% and 7.7%, respectively. Binary logistic regression analysis demonstrated that age, low level of education, rural area, unemployment, pregnancy complications, poor marital relationship, and fair household income were positively association with both depressive and anxiety symptoms (all P < 0.05). The proportion of women reporting anxiety symptoms in the third trimester was 1.91-fold higher than in first trimester. Parity was a relevant factor for depression and anxiety symptoms (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

In the post-COVID-19 era, the prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms in pregnant women was higher than expected, and it is vital to establish hospital, community, and family psychological health screening systems based on relevant factors and enhance early preventive measures.

The effect of teacher support on Chinese university students' sustainable online learning engagement and online academic persistence in the post-epidemic era

Since entering the post-epidemic era of COVID-19 at the end of 2021, schools have mostly adopted a combined online and offline teaching mode to effectively respond to the normalized epidemic, which has changed the traditional learning mode of students. Based on the study demand-resources (SD-R) model theory, this study developed a research model and proposed six research hypotheses to explore the relationship between Chinese university students' perceived teacher support (PTS), online academic self-efficacy (OAS-E), online academic emotions (OAE), sustainable online learning engagement (SOLE), and online academic persistence (OAP) in the post-epidemic era. In this study, 593 Chinese university students were invited to respond to a questionnaire survey using the convenience sampling method. The results of the study showed that: PTS had a positive effect on OAS-E and OAE; OAS-E had a positive effect on OAE; OAS-E and OAE had a positive effect on the students' SOLE; and SOLE had a positive effect on their OAP. Based on the analysis, it is recommended that teachers provide more support and resources to further enhance students' academic self-efficacy and academic emotions, and thus ensure students' SOLE and OAP.

Gender Differences of University Students in the Online Teaching Quality and Psychological Profile during the COVID-19 Pandemic

With the arrival of COVID-19, educational systems have had to adapt to the social and health situation immediately. This led to the appearance of the asynchronous teaching model. Throughout the pandemic, at the educational level, we can distinguish three phases, eminently online, hybrid, and finally, face-to-face. However, the perception of educational quality in these three educational moments, taking into account the psychometric profile and gender, has not been studied. Thus, 1093 university students from Ibero-American countries were analyzed. Through a questionnaire, demographic, academic, and psychological variables were analyzed at three moments during the evolution of the pandemic. Data suggest that, during the lockdown phase, while teaching was eminently online, students presented higher levels of stress and higher difficulty of learning; class attendance, convenience, preferred method of learning, grading score, and motivation were lower, compared to other phases of teaching (hybrid and face-to-face). During this period, females presented higher stress levels than males, as well as higher levels of anxiety and loneliness, without gender differences among the other studied variables. During the hybrid and face-to-face phases, male students presented higher values in the results of difficulty learning and demanding activities. No differences were seen regarding motivation, synchronous class attendance, learning level, grades, convenience, or preferred learning method. The results from the present study suggest that, despite the effect of the pandemic on mental health, asynchronous education is postulated as an effective teaching-learning alternative. Yet, a special focus should be given to female students.