Mindfulness – nonjudgmental awareness of the present moment - has recently garnered significant attention in psychological literature for decreasing clinical symptoms. Certain personality traits such as emotionality, however, can predict higher levels of anxiety and depression. The present study examines whether mindfulness mediates the relationship between personality traits and perceived stress and depression in nonclinical populations. A total of 321 participants from two samples—American and Japanese undergraduates —self-reported scores on measures of mindfulness, personality, perceived stress and depression. Cross-cultural comparisons following measurement invariance tests also allow for insight into the definition of mindfulness, especially given the Eastern religion origin of mindfulness. Results demonstrate that mindfulness partially mediates the relationships between personality clinical symptoms, particularly for extraversion and conscientiousness. These results can play an important role for developing mindfulness-based treatment and prevention programs and bridge an important gap between Western conceived and Eastern religion mindfulness. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2015. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

This is the first study to investigate the relationship of perceived stress, religious coping styles, and mental health symptoms in university students within a single, faith- based institution. Students face a variety of stressors that may be directly, indirectly, or not related to the college experience. If these stressors are left unmanaged, there are multiple implications including reduced retention, declines in academic performance, physical health concerns, and mental health symptoms. University personnel are reporting increases in the number and severity of mental health symptoms presented by university students. This study investigated whether religious coping strategies provide a mediating effect on the relationship between stress and mental health symptoms. The sample was comprised of 209 undergraduate students, between the ages of 18-32, from a single faith-based university. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2015. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

University attendance includes various activities and experiences that can have a unique impact on psychosocial development and adult health behaviors, and can influence life course outcomes such as short- and long-term health and quality of life. College attendance and health are cyclical and reinforcing factors. Healthier students do better while at college, which allows them to effectively progress through university. College graduation is closely associated with improved health status in later life. In addition, students' personal development as part of their transition to adulthood during college, which includes psychosocial and interpersonal growth, is associated with greater gains in health and personal success in later life. Identifying the factors associated with enhanced health status while in college would ensure that a greater number of the overall population has access to the potential health benefits of progressing through and graduating from an institution of higher education. Because health behaviors can have a significant impact on how well a student progresses through college, as well as future quality of life, colleges and universities should recognize the role health is playing in the student experience. This study explored the connection of how factors such as student sub-group participation, health behaviors, and particular negative experiences affect the health status of college students attending a large, urban, top-tier university. It investigated which students were at an increased risk for negative mental health symptoms and overall lower general health and how students' participation in various groups (student athletes, students who are members of sororities and fraternities, and students who volunteer) is associated with health behavior (alcohol and other drug use, sexual behavior, and sleep), negative experiences (bias/discrimination and interpersonal violence), and health outcomes. In addition, the study analyzed how personal development at college mediates those relationships. This study is based on non-experimental cross-sectional survey data from the National College Health Assessment that was collected in collaboration with the American College Health Association at Columbia University (CU). All enrolled undergraduate students at CU in Columbia College or the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences in the spring semester of 2009 (n=5708) were invited to participate in the survey, and 31.8% of the sample responded. This research used the Baron and Kenny model to examine the mediation effects of personal development on general health and mental health via a series of bivariate and regression analyses. While the overall general and mental health of respondents was good, particular groups were less likely to report overall excellent or very good general health and more likely to report mental health symptoms. Negative experiences and health behaviors varied significantly between student sub-groups. Health behaviors and negative experiences were predictive of overall general health and mental health symptoms. Sleep, drug use, and experiences of bias/discrimination and interpersonal violence (IPV) were most predictive of health. Personal development was found to partially mediate the relationship between IPV, sleep and overall general health. In addition, personal development was found to partially mediate the relationship between IPV, drug use other than or in addition to marijuana, and sleep and mental health symptoms. The findings from this study suggest that college and university administrators should consider directing resources into targeting particular groups of students for focused health promotion interventions related to specific topics as a method for improving overall general health and reducing mental health symptoms of students. College and university administrators are encouraged to consider the role of personal development as a unique factor in improving student health.

University of Macau / Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities / Department of Psychology

Medical students experience elevated levels of psychological distress and they are reluctant to seek professional help for mental health problems. They are also reticent to notify authorities about colleagues experiencing psychological distress. Yet, young people are more likely to seek help from peers than from any other source and we know very little about the help that these peers provide to their distressed colleagues. The current research explored medical students’ approaches to colleagues experiencing psychological distress: firstly, to determine whether they notice the distress of colleagues; secondly, to explore what determines consideration to intervene and help colleagues; and thirdly, the range of helping behaviours provided. Comparisons were made with students from other professional tertiary disciplines. Students from all six years of an undergraduate medical course were compared with convenience samples from Psychology, Law and Mechanical Engineering at The University of Adelaide. Students were recruited for one of three studies which employed a variety of measures, including the Kessler Measure of Psychological Distress (K10), a Retrospective Helping Behaviour Instrument (RHBI) and a Hypothetical Helping Behaviour Instrument (HHBI). Psychological distress (as determined by the K10) among the disciplines surveyed (N = 949) was 4.4 times that of age-matched population normative data. Despite this high rate of distress, students consistently rated the distress of their colleagues as significantly lower than the colleagues’ own self ratings. All disciplines were equally inaccurate in detecting the distress of their colleagues. Analysis of hypothetical helping behaviours, in response to a vignette, indicated that medical students offered more help to non-medical students than they did to fellow medical students; however, the quality of help delivered to fellow medical students was superior. Non-medical students offered more help to medical students than they did to students from their own discipline, but the quality of help they offered did not change between the two disciplines. Analysis of the mixed method RHBI indicated that discipline had an effect on the types of help provided to distressed colleagues, the reasons for and for not helping a colleague, and general helping concerns. Three main types of help were provided: social support, academic assistance and therapeutic assistance. Medical students from Year 3 onwards offered a diverse array of helping behaviours, whilst law and mechanical engineering students primarily offered academic support. Help was considered more frequently than it was actually given and reasons for and against providing help were associated with belief or doubt about the benefit of helping, positive or detrimental effects for the helper, the closeness or lack of friendship with the helpee, and confidence to help. This research has improved our understanding of the mechanisms that produce helping behaviour. It has also provided a rich inventory of the type of help offered by the medical students and by other tertiary students. This knowledge is crucial in the development of effective approaches to assisting distressed students, particularly in regards to the theoretical and practical development of peer support programmes. Peer support programmes take into account young peoples’ preferences to speak to peers. Peer support programmes that build on the students’ existing behaviours and resources (those behaviours identified in this research) have an increased chance of acceptance and validity. Such programmes may offer a viable adjunct to formal support services and, more importantly, may have far reaching effects in breaking down the stigma of mental health problems within professions such as Medicine. / Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Population Health and Clinical Practice, 2009

Medical students experience elevated levels of psychological distress and they are reluctant to seek professional help for mental health problems. They are also reticent to notify authorities about colleagues experiencing psychological distress. Yet, young people are more likely to seek help from peers than from any other source and we know very little about the help that these peers provide to their distressed colleagues. The current research explored medical students’ approaches to colleagues experiencing psychological distress: firstly, to determine whether they notice the distress of colleagues; secondly, to explore what determines consideration to intervene and help colleagues; and thirdly, the range of helping behaviours provided. Comparisons were made with students from other professional tertiary disciplines. Students from all six years of an undergraduate medical course were compared with convenience samples from Psychology, Law and Mechanical Engineering at The University of Adelaide. Students were recruited for one of three studies which employed a variety of measures, including the Kessler Measure of Psychological Distress (K10), a Retrospective Helping Behaviour Instrument (RHBI) and a Hypothetical Helping Behaviour Instrument (HHBI). Psychological distress (as determined by the K10) among the disciplines surveyed (N = 949) was 4.4 times that of age-matched population normative data. Despite this high rate of distress, students consistently rated the distress of their colleagues as significantly lower than the colleagues’ own self ratings. All disciplines were equally inaccurate in detecting the distress of their colleagues. Analysis of hypothetical helping behaviours, in response to a vignette, indicated that medical students offered more help to non-medical students than they did to fellow medical students; however, the quality of help delivered to fellow medical students was superior. Non-medical students offered more help to medical students than they did to students from their own discipline, but the quality of help they offered did not change between the two disciplines. Analysis of the mixed method RHBI indicated that discipline had an effect on the types of help provided to distressed colleagues, the reasons for and for not helping a colleague, and general helping concerns. Three main types of help were provided: social support, academic assistance and therapeutic assistance. Medical students from Year 3 onwards offered a diverse array of helping behaviours, whilst law and mechanical engineering students primarily offered academic support. Help was considered more frequently than it was actually given and reasons for and against providing help were associated with belief or doubt about the benefit of helping, positive or detrimental effects for the helper, the closeness or lack of friendship with the helpee, and confidence to help. This research has improved our understanding of the mechanisms that produce helping behaviour. It has also provided a rich inventory of the type of help offered by the medical students and by other tertiary students. This knowledge is crucial in the development of effective approaches to assisting distressed students, particularly in regards to the theoretical and practical development of peer support programmes. Peer support programmes take into account young peoples’ preferences to speak to peers. Peer support programmes that build on the students’ existing behaviours and resources (those behaviours identified in this research) have an increased chance of acceptance and validity. Such programmes may offer a viable adjunct to formal support services and, more importantly, may have far reaching effects in breaking down the stigma of mental health problems within professions such as Medicine. / Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Population Health and Clinical Practice, 2009

Differences in college student's psychological well-being, extrapunitiveness, and intropunitiveness were related to the presence or absence of maltreatment during childhood years, and its acknowledgement by the student. Subjects were 56 male and 85 female undergraduate students at the University of North Texas. Subjects were given structural scale v.3 of the California Psychological Inventory (CPI), the Extrapunitive (E), and Intropunitive (I) indices of the Hostility-Direction of Hostility Questionnaire (HDHQ), and the Physical Punishment scale (PP-scale) of the Assessing Environments Questionnaire (AEIII). Results indicate no significant differences in psychological well-being, extrapunitiveness, or intropunitiveness, which would be explained by the presence of maltreatment or its acknowledgement.

This study explored how students utilized spirituality as an effective coping mechanism for the stress they faced while in the Master's of Social Work program at California State University, San Bernardino. A stress and spirituality scale was used to measure each student's spirituality and perceived stress. Most students stated that spirituality and religious activity was helpful in coping with the stress of the MSW program. In addition, spirituality was found to have a strong positive impact on a person's abilities to cope with the stress of the program.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is more recently being recognized as a lifetime disorder that continues to affect individuals into their adult lives. Recent research studies have found connections between ADHD and overweight/obesity. The current study was designed to further explore these relationships and better understand the connections between these two constructs among 340 college students. It was hypothesized that the ADHD symptoms (i.e., inattention and impulsivity) would positively predict depressive symptoms, which in turn would predict emotional/binge eating and lead to overweight/obesity. Additionally, it was hypothesized that impulsivity would predict substance use, which would predict emotional/binge eating and also predict overweight/obesity. The model was tested and exhibited excellent fit. ADHD positively predicted depressive symptoms, which in turn positively predicted emotional/binge eating and led to overweight/obesity. Further, ADHD symptoms also positively predicted substance use, which in turn predicted emotional/binge eating and led to overweight/obesity. All paths were statistically significant and findings suggest there are at least two paths that connect ADHD symptoms and overweight/obesity in adults. The current results are of importance to practicing clinicians because they provide increased clarity and depth regarding the connections and relationship between symptoms of ADHD and overweight/obesity.

COVID-19 exacerbated a pre-existing and well-documented mental health crisis on college campuses in the United States. During COVID-19, more college students than ever before in recorded history reported feelings of anxiety and depression, among other mental health issues. There are myriad possible causes for the decline in mental health among college students. One clear cause is the introduction of the smartphone, its widespread adoption, and its frequent use by college-age people. Research also revealed that an unprecedented number of college students are completely disconnected from religion and spirituality. Studies demonstrated that cultivating a religious or spiritual life can be beneficial for one’s mental well-being. The efforts on college campuses to provide mental health resources for students would benefit from additional support. This care should be accessible to more students and should combat the unfortunate stigma around receiving help for mental health. Undergraduate introductory philosophy courses taken as a requirement by various majors can serve as responses to this call for additional care. These classes are inherently accessible and can offer students an engaging experience with self-care by implementing exercises inspired by philosophy as the art of living. Although philosophy as the art of living does not necessarily have to replace religion or other forms of mental health care, it can offer an experience that is of therapeutic value in the classroom. This tradition has a rich, ancient history of intending to serve this purpose. The objective of this research was to present and examine self-care exercises from philosophy as the art of living and to evaluate how these can be taught in the college classroom in response to the mental health crisis on college campuses. It also aimed to render the experience of teaching these exercises. The research was executed through a hermeneutical and phenomenological approach. The phenomenological methodology was performed by a teacher in the form of a self-study. It was also conducted with the teacher as a witness to what transpired in introductory philosophy classes with thousands of students in dozens of individual classes in a diverse metropolis. A college introductory philosophy course in this epoch of mental health crisis on campuses should abide by philosophy as the art of living’s imperative to decrease suffering. There is a vital need for additional resources to respond to the decline in mental wellness among students. The results of this research demonstrated that philosophy as the art of living and its emphasis on exercises can be successfully applied to the college classroom. In this research, students were given time on a regular basis during class to be in silence, confront Socratic-style questions that encouraged them to examine and care for themselves, practice self-writing to heighten their ability to think and pursue the aim of self-care, and then read to engage with philosophical texts to support their self-care. Students consistently and rigorously engaged with these exercises. Their time spent in silent practice provided an opportunity for therapeutic, meditative, and peaceful reflection. Educators should consider implementing these exercises in introductory philosophy classes and beyond as ways to offer self-care to students who may be struggling with their mental health, as so many are.