scholarly journals Belief in God and Psychological Distress: Is It the Belief or Certainty of the Belief?

Religions ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 757
Author(s):  
Zachary E. Magin ◽  
Adam B. David ◽  
Lauren M. Carney ◽  
Crystal L. Park ◽  
Ian A. Gutierrez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Meaning In Life ◽  
Model Comparison ◽  
Religious Identities ◽  
Belief In God ◽  
Linear Relationships ◽  
Comparison Approach ◽  
Curvilinear Relationships

Research on the relationship between belief in God and mental health is scarce and often limited to comparing group differences in mental health across various self-reported religious identities (e.g., atheists, agnostics, believers). To advance this work, we focused on how the extent of belief in God related to three indices of psychological distress (depression, anxiety, and stress) in a sample of undergraduate students (N = 632) with a variety of religious identities. We used a model comparison approach to evaluate both linear and curvilinear relationships between belief in God and psychological distress and tested potential mediating pathways for linear relationships. The findings revealed that belief in God was negatively linearly related to depression; this relationship was fully mediated by meaning in life, feeling comforted by God, positive religious coping, positive reappraisal, and substance use coping. In contrast, belief in God was curvilinearly related to anxiety but unrelated to stress. These results suggest that both strength and certainty of the belief in God may be important in understanding religion’s relationship with psychological distress.

scholarly journals Mental health of undergraduate distance learners: a cross-sectional study

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gayani P. Gamage ◽  
H.M.Chulani J. Herath
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Distance Learning ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Distance Learners ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type

PurposeMental health is as important as physical health and new university entrants report high prevalence of depression. In open and distance learning (ODL), students must manage both work and studies. Those who are unable to effectively balance these aspects may experience negative outcomes such as dropping out, distress and physical health problems. Therefore, the study aims to investigate psychological distress amongst distance-learning undergraduate students to gather evidence for recommending necessary interventions.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional study was conducted using depression, anxiety, stress scale (DASS-21). Participants were undergraduate students from the Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL). The students' socio-demographic details, history of physical and mental illnesses were also recorded.FindingsAccording to scoring, 51% of the sample was categorised as “psychologically distressed” relating to the anxiety levels they reported whilst depression (35%) and stress remained (20%) at low levels. The three-factor structure of DASS-21 was also confirmed with reliability scores of 0.8 obtained for all three sub-scales.Research limitations/implicationsThe limitations were low-response rate (less than 50%) and inability to provide causal explanations for psychological distress. Further research could address these.Practical implicationsThe current research identified anxiety as a psychologically distressing factor for ODL students with the use of a reliable screening tool. Therefore, exploring reasons and interventions to help reduce anxiety could be developed.Social implicationsMajority of distance learners are contributing to a country's economy whilst learning to improve their current socio-economic status. Therefore, addressing these negative impacts is important.Originality/valueThe study explored ODL students' psychological distress and highlighted the need to identify causes and development of support systems to enhance mental well-being.

scholarly journals Late Adulthood, COVID-19-Related Stress Perceptions, Meaning in Life, and Forgiveness as Predictors of Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Loren Toussaint ◽  
Alyssa Cheadle ◽  
Jessie Dezutter ◽  
David R. Williams
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Meaning In Life ◽  
Coping Resources ◽  
Older Age ◽  
Search For Meaning ◽  
Indirect Pathway ◽  
Stress Appraisal ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Related Stress

The purpose of this study was to examine multiple direct and indirect pathways of the association between older age and mental health through COVID-19-related stress perceptions, meaning in life, and forgiveness of situations. Participants were 1,382 U.S. adults who were part of the Harvard Digital Lab for the Social Sciences panel who volunteered to complete a 12 min survey in the spring of 2020. The sample had an average age of 56 years, was slightly more male (55%) than female (44%) or other (2%), mostly White (88%), well-educated (70% bachelors degree or more), and middle-income ($60,000–$75,000 annually). Measures included: COVID-19-related stress perceptions (e.g., concerns about infection, job, lack of necessities), presence of and search for meaning in life, forgiveness of situations, psychological distress, hopelessness, and optimism. A latent mental health variable was created that was comprised of psychological distress, hopelessness, and optimism. All hypothesized direct effects were in evidence, and all but one indirect effect were observed. Specifically, older age was related to better mental health through higher presence of meaning and lower search for meaning. Older age was also related to better mental health through a serial indirect pathway from lower COVID-19-related stress perceptions to higher presence of and lower search for meaning and higher forgiveness of situations to mental health. The proposed model was largely supported and confirms existing theory and research on aging, positive psychological processes, and mental health. Findings also offer new insights on the unique potential role of forgiveness of situations and its theoretical relevance to offending situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The present study offers a beginning for theorists, researchers, and practitioners to consider the connections between aging and mental health and the intricate interconnections between stress appraisal and positive coping resources that may serve to support it.

scholarly journals Coronavirus Stress and Resilience: Exploring the Role of Hope and Meaning in in Life Undergraduate Students

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 129-138
Author(s):  
Abdullah MERT ◽  
Gökmen ARSLAN ◽  
Özlem TAGAY
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Meaning In Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Public University ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
High Motivation ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Health And Well Being

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether meaning in life and hope mediate the association between coronavirus stress and resilience in university students. The participants were 376 (68% female) undergraduate students attending a public university in Turkey. The age of the students ranged from 18 to 38 years (Mage = 20.67, SD = 3.62). The results of the present study suggest that the meaning of life and hope attenuate the negative effects of stress on hope and resilience. Specifically, hope emerged as an important mechanism for the relationship between meaning in life and resilience. These findings provide insights into the relationships between coronavirus stress, hope, sense of life, and resilience in young adults during the period COVID -19. Hope and sense of life may function as protective factors to promote mental health and well-being by increasing an individual's ability to recover from stressful situations with high motivation and in creative ways. The purpose of the present study was to examine whether meaning in life and hope mediate the relationship between coronavirus stress and resilience in university students. The participants were 376 (68% female) students attending a public university in Turkey. The age of the students ranged from 18 to 38 years (Mage = 20.67, SD = 3.62). The results of the study showed that the meaning of life and hope mitigated the negative effects of stress on hope and resilience. Specifically, hope was found to be an important mechanism for the relationship between meaning in life and resilience. These findings shed light on the relationships between coronavirus stress, hope, sense of life, and resilience in young adults during COVID -19. Hope and sense of life may act as protective factors to promote mental health and well-being by increasing individuals' ability to recover from stressful situations with high motivation and in creative ways.

scholarly journals Psychological Distress and Well-Being among Students of Health Disciplines: The Importance of Academic Satisfaction

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 2151
Author(s):  
Jessica Franzen ◽  
Françoise Jermann ◽  
Paolo Ghisletta ◽  
Serge Rudaz ◽  
Guido Bondolfi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Academic Satisfaction

Background: Research on the mental health of students in health disciplines mainly focuses on psychological distress and nursing and medical students. This study aimed to investigate the psychological well-being and distress and related factors among undergraduate students training in eight different health-related tracks in Geneva, Switzerland. Methods: This cross-sectional study used established self-filled scales for anxiety, depression, stress, psychological well-being, and study satisfaction. Descriptive statistics and hierarchical regression analyses were applied. Results: In October 2019, out of 2835 invited students, 915 (32%) completed the survey. Lower academic satisfaction scores were strongly associated with depression (β = −0.26, p < 0.001), anxiety (β = −0.27, p < 0.001), and stress (β = −0.70, p < 0.001), while higher scores were associated with psychological well-being (β = 0.70, p < 0.001). Being female was strongly associated with anxiety and stress but not with depression or psychological well-being. Increased age was associated with enhanced psychological well-being. The nature of the academic training had a lesser impact on mental health and the academic year had none. Conclusion: Academic satisfaction strongly predicts depression, anxiety, stress, and psychological well-being. Training institutions should address the underlying factors that can improve students’ satisfaction with their studies while ensuring that they have access to psychosocial services that help them cope with mental distress and enhance their psychological well-being.

scholarly journals Loneliness and Psychological Distress: A Mediating Role of Meaning in Life during COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Murat Yıldırım
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Outcome ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Meaning In Life ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Treatment And Prevention ◽  
Distress Symptoms ◽  
Distress Level

The COVID-19 pandemic represents a health crisis with a high amount of loneliness, which in turn may be associated with negative mental health outcome like psychological distress. This chapter aimed to investigate if meaning in life mediated the effect of loneliness on symptoms of psychological distress. A young adult sample (N = 605, 75.7% women) completed the measures of loneliness, psychological distress, and meaning in life. The results indicated that meaning in life mediated the relations between loneliness and psychological distress symptoms. This relation was significant at low, medium, and high levels of meaning in life. The study shows that experience of loneliness is associated with symptoms of psychological distress. Level of meaning in life differentiates the direct and indirect effect of loneliness on psychological distress. Knowledge about the effect of loneliness in response to a health crisis is important for developing treatment and prevention strategies for loneliness, psychological distress, and meaning in life.

Does meaning in life mediate the relationship between proactive personality and well-being?

2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (12) ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Shen Huang ◽  
Xiaofei Yan ◽  
Jiaxi Zhang ◽  
Xin Zhang ◽  
Danmin Miao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Meaning In Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Proactive Personality ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Research Attention ◽  
The Relationship

Meaning in life (MIL) is an important individual difference characteristic related to well-being, and has been receiving increasing research attention. We investigated the role of MIL in the link between proactive personality and well-being, with a focus on life satisfaction and mental health. Participants were 364 undergraduate students who completed a survey measuring proactive personality, MIL, stress, depression, and anxiety. Results reveal that proactive personality and MIL were positively correlated with life satisfaction and negatively correlated with stress, anxiety, and depression. In addition, MIL fully mediated the relationship between proactive personality and life satisfaction, and fully and independently mediated the association between proactive personality and mental health (stress, anxiety, and depression). Our results confirm the mediating role of MIL in the relationship between proactive personality and well-being. Practical implications of the study include potential methods for interventions that could improve individuals' well-being by targeting and enhancing MIL.

scholarly journals Kesehatan mental mahasiswa ditinjau dari two continua model: Pengujian multiple analysis of variance

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 147-166
Author(s):  
Deasyanti Deasyanti ◽  
Fellianti Muzdalifah
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Test Statistics ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Symptom Check List ◽  
The University

Abstract University student’s mental health has to get more attention because they are more vulnerable in suffering psychological problems compared to general population. The aim of this study is to figure out the prevalence of mental health status of students using the two continua model. Mental health symptoms were measured by the MHC-LF that comprised emotional well-being (?= 0,843), psychological well-being (?= 0,807), and social well-being (?= 0,831); whereas psychological distress was identified using the HSCL-25 that measured anxiety (?= 0,910) and depression (?= 0,890).  A total of 514 undergraduate students was involved using convenience sampling. The descriptive statistics showed that students are categorised as flourishing 32,10%, moderate mentally healthy 65,95%, and languishing 1,95%.  Moreover, the MANOVA test statistics found that there is a significant difference in levels of depression and anxiety between flourishing, moderate mentally healthy and languishing.  This study implies that the university should provide the mental health intervention to help students in dealing with psychological distress, and to increase their mental health into flourishing.Keywords: Mental health; Psychological distress; Two continua model; University student. AbstrakIsu kesehatan mental di kalangan mahasiswa perlu mendapat perhatian karena mahasiswa merupakan kelompok populasi yang rentan mengalami masalah psikologis. Dengan menggunakan pendekatan two continua model, penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui prevalensi tipe kesehatan mental mahasiswa. Indikator sehat mental diukur melalui kuesioner Mental Health Continuum-Long Form yang terdiri dari 3 skala: emotional well-being (?= 0,843), psychological well-being (?= 0,807), dan social well-being (?= 0,831).  Indikator psikopatologis diukur menggunakan skala Hopkins Symptom Check List-25 yang terdiri dari skala kecemasan (?= 0,910) dan skala depresi (?= 0,890). Sebanyak 514 mahasiswa menjadi responden dalam penelitian ini menggunakan teknik sampling convenience. Dengan analisis statistik deskriptif diketahui 32.10% mahasiswa termasuk dalam kategori sehat mental flourishing, 66,95% moderate mentally healthy dan 1,95% languishing. Uji statistik MANOVA menemukan perbedaan tingkat kecemasan dan depresi antara kelompok sehat mental yang berbeda. Implikasi hasil penelitian ini terkait dengan program intervensi kesehatan mental mahasiswa yang bersifat kuratif, protektif, maupun promotif untuk meningkatkan keberfungsian psikologis secara lebih optimal. Kata kunci: Distres psikologis; Mahasiswa; Sehat mental; Two Continua Model

scholarly journals Psychological Distress and Well-Being Among Students of Health Disciplines: The Importance of Academic Satisfaction

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Franzen ◽  
Francoise Jermann ◽  
Paolo Ghisletta ◽  
Serge Rudaz ◽  
Guido Bondolfi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Academic Satisfaction

Background Research on the mental health of students in health disciplines mainly focuses on psychological distress and nursing and medical students. This study aimed to investigate the psychological well-being and distress and related factors among undergraduate students training in eight different health-related tracks in Geneva, Switzerland. Methods This cross-sectional study used established self-filled scales for anxiety, depression, stress, psychological well-being, and study satisfaction. Descriptive statistics and hierarchical regression analyses were applied. Results In October 2019, out of 2835 invited students, 915 (32%) completed the survey. Lower academic satisfaction scores were strongly associated with depression (&beta;=-.26, p&lt;.001), anxiety (&beta;=-.27, p&lt;.001), and stress (&beta;=-.70, p&lt;.001), while higher scores with psychological well-being (&beta;=.70, p&lt;.001). Being female was strongly associated with anxiety and stress but not with depression or psychological well-being. Increased age was associated with enhanced psychological well-being. The nature of the academic training had a lesser impact on mental health and the academic year none. Conclusion Academic satisfaction strongly predicts depression, anxiety, stress, and psychological well-being. Training institutions should address the underlying factors that can improve students&rsquo; satisfaction with their studies while ensuring that they have access to psychosocial services that help them cope with mental distress and enhance their psychological well-being.

scholarly journals How Having a Clear Why Can Help Us Cope With Almost Anything: Meaningful Well-Being and the COVID-19 Pandemic in México

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angelica Quiroga-Garza ◽  
Ana C. Cepeda-Lopez ◽  
Sofía Villarreal Zambrano ◽  
Victor E. Villalobos-Daniel ◽  
David F. Carreno ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Meaning In Life ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Negative Influence ◽  
Brief Cope

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has resulted in an increase in known risk factors for mental health problems. Mexico adopted lockdown and physical distancing as a containment strategy with potential consequences on day to day life, such as social isolation, loss of income and loneliness that can have important consequences in terms of mental health.Objective: We aimed to examine the effect of the initial phases of the COVID-19 pandemic on psychological distress, well-being and perceived physical health among Mexican-base respondents and to examine whether coping strategies would play a potential intermediating role in relation to these variables. Under the Existential Positive Psychology perspective, an emphasis was made on meaning-centered coping.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between April 30 and June 16th 2020 among 604 Mexicans-base respondents of which 471 were women and 132 men. Data was collected by using online questionnaires. Psychological distress was measured using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21). The Brief COPE Inventory was used to assess problem-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies. We also used the Meaning-Centered Coping Scale (MCCS). PERMA-Profiler was used to assess well-being, perceived physical health, and loneliness. Profiler and Descriptive analyses and bivariate linear regression were performed to examine the association of variables.Results: 45.9% of the participants reported moderate to extremely severe psychological distress. Our results demonstrate that problem-focused and emotion-focused coping were positively related to psychological distress, whereas meaning-centered coping was negatively associated with distress. Furthermore, psychological distress played a potential negative role in the perceived physical health, while meaning-centered coping and well-being buffered the negative influence of psychological distress on perceived physical health (completely standardized indirect effect = –0.01, SE: 0.012, 95% CI [−0.065; −0.017].Conclusion: Meaning-centered coping was found to suppress the negative influence of psychological distress on sensation of decreased physical health corroborating the critical role of meaning in life in promoting well-being. Future studies can further examine the value of the critical role of meaning in life in promoting well-being as a protective factor against severe distress during traumatic events. Findings of this study can be used to orient policies and interventions aimed to alleviate suffering in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

scholarly journals COVID-19 among Chinese high school graduates: Psychological distress, growth, meaning in life and resilience

2021 ◽  
pp. 135910532199081
Author(s):  
Yongju Yu ◽  
Yongjuan Yu ◽  
Jiangxia Hu
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
High School ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Posttraumatic Growth ◽  
Meaning In Life ◽  
High School Graduates ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Mental Health Outcomes ◽  
Depression Symptoms

This study examined perceived impact of COVID-19 (PIC) on mental health outcomes (anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic growth) and roles of resilience and meaning in life. In October 2020, 430 Chinese high school graduates completed self-report measures. Results showed that 4.4% and 5.8% participants had anxiety and depression symptoms (⩾10), respectively, while 13.3% developed posttraumatic growth (⩾37.5). Resilience and meaning in life mediated the relationships between PIC and mental health outcomes. These findings underline psychological distress and growth coexisted in COVID-19, while resilience and meaning in life served as important protective factors of mental health.

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