scholarly journals Lingering effects of COVID-19 on the mental health of first-year university students in Japan

PLoS ONE ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. e0262550
Author(s):  
Ryo Horita ◽  
Akihiro Nishio ◽  
Mayumi Yamamoto
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Suicidal Ideation ◽  
High Risk ◽  
University Students ◽  
Psychological Symptoms ◽  
Japanese Version ◽  
Subscale Score ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
First Year University

Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is continuing unabated in Japan, as of October 2021. We aimed to compare first-year university students’ psychological distress before the pandemic in 2019, during the pandemic in 2020, and one year after the onset of the pandemic, in 2021. Methods The study conducted online surveys over three years from April to May each year. Participants were 400 first-year students in 2019, 766 in 2020, and 738 in 2021. We examined differences in scores on the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms—Japanese version (CCAPS-Japanese) between the three years using a one-way analysis of variance, and differences in the CCAPS-Japanese critical items using chi-squared test and residual analysis. Results The average scores on the Depression and Generalized Anxiety subscale in 2021 were significantly higher than those in 2020, but remained the same as in 2019. The Academic Distress subscale score in 2020 was the worst compared to 2019 and 2021. Meanwhile, the number of students who experienced severe suicidal ideation increased year by year from 2019 to 2021. Conclusion The mean mental health of first-year university students worsened after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and recovered to the pre-pandemic level over the next two years. However, the number of high-risk students with suicidal ideation continued to increase. A system is required for early detection and support for students at high risk of mental health issues.

scholarly journals Prospective study of pain and psychological symptoms of first-year university students

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 001-004
Author(s):  
Oksanen Airi ◽  
Laimi Katri ◽  
Löyttyniemi Eliisa ◽  
Kunttu Kristina
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Cohort Studies ◽  
Prospective Study ◽  
Psychological Symptoms ◽  
The Other ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Almost All ◽  
First Year University

Background: Even if pain and psychological symptoms experienced by university students are common, the prognosis of these symptoms is unknown. Objective: To examine the incidence and the outcome of frequent musculoskeletal and psychological symptoms in a 4-year follow-up of first-year university students. Methods: In 2008, a national random sample (N=2750) of Finnish university students completed a questionnaire concerning pain and psychological symptoms. Of the 416 first-year students, 123 responded to the same questionnaire also in their fourth study year in 2012. Results: Of the first-year university students with frequent pain or psychological symptoms, ­one half (47% - 65%) reported frequent symptoms also four years later. Almost all (78% – 95%) of the symptom-free first-year students were symptom-free also in their fourth study year. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that pain and psychological symptoms in university students are rather persistent during the first four study years. On the other hand, as half of those with frequent symptoms become symptomless and as the prognosis of symptom-free students is favourable, there is still need for further cohort studies on this issue.

scholarly journals Factors associated with depressive episode among first year University students in Serbia

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
S Čanković ◽  
D Čanković ◽  
I Radić ◽  
D Rakić ◽  
S Ukropina ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
University Students ◽  
Depressive Episode ◽  
Social Health ◽  
Support Network ◽  
First Year ◽  
Behavioral Factors ◽  
First Year University

Abstract Background Some findings indicate that university students are at higher risk of depression despite being a socially advantaged population, showing that 15 to 25% of them develop some type of mental disorder during graduation, and depression is one of the most prevalent. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of depressive symptoms and its association with gender, material status, social health, and behavioral factors among university students. Methods The research represents a cross-sectional study conducted at the University of Novi Sad, Serbia. The research involved 455 first-year students. The average age of participants was 19.3 years (72.1% girls and 27.9% boys). Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was used to measure depressive symptoms (cut point for depressive episode ≥10). Additional questions were focused on self-assessed material status, social health, and behavioral factors (smoking and alcohol use). The binary logistic regression model was used to estimate the association between depression and observed independent variables. Results The prevalence of moderate to severe depressive episode among students was 18.0%, with no gender differences. Out of the total, 11.0% of students had suicidal thoughts or thoughts of hurting themselves. Multivariable logistic regression showed that self-assessed poor material status (OR = 2.04; 95%CI: 1.06-3.89), self-assessed poor social health (OR = 8.9; 95%CI:4.87-16.42) and smoking (OR = 2.18; 95%CI: 1.09-4.39) were significant predictors of depression among first-year university students. Conclusions High prevalence of depressive episode among university students call for the action for the promotion of mental health, particularly among those of lower socioeconomic status, and points out the importance of social health and social network in the prevention of mental disorders. Key messages Students on the first year of University should be screened for depressive symptoms. It is important to educate students on how to create a strong support network and to implement intervention programs for improving mental health through fostering healthy lifestyles change.

scholarly journals Motor skills as a predictor of academic performance | La aptitud motriz como predictor del rendimiento académico

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (28) ◽  
pp. 57-64
Author(s):  
José Eduardo Molina Arriola ◽  
Victor Osiris Rodriguez Cervantes ◽  
Julio Cesar Lozano Flores ◽  
Luis Quintana Rivera ◽  
José Moncada Jimenez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Physical Education ◽  
University Students ◽  
Motor Skills ◽  
Weighted Average ◽  
First Year ◽  
Regression Analyses ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
First Year University ◽  
Estudiantes Universitarios

Este estudio tuvo como objetivo determinar la asociación entre la aptitud motriz de estudiantes universitarios de primer ingreso y su desempeño académico en los dos periodos lectivos de inicio de la carrera de Educación Física, Deporte y Recreación. Participaron 83 voluntarios (Hombres = 60, Mujeres = 23) de la Universidad Veracruzana, México. La aptitud motriz se evaluó con ocho pruebas y el rendimiento académico se midió con el promedio ponderado de dos periodos consecutivos. Los análisis de regresión múltiple mostraron que el salto sin carrera (modelo 1), y gimnasia y encestes de baloncesto (modelo 2) predicen el rendimiento académico. En conclusión, la aptitud motriz predice parcialmente el rendimiento académico en estudiantes de primer ingreso.AbstractThe purpose of this study was to determine the association between the motor skills of first-year university students and their academic performance in the two initial academic terms of the Physical Education, Sports and Recreation degree. Eighty-three volunteers participated (Men = 60, Women = 23) from the Universidad Veracruzana, Mexico. Motor skills were evaluated with eight tests and academic performance was measured with the weighted average of two consecutive terms. Multiple regression analyses showed that standing jumping (model 1), and gymnastics and effective basketball throws (model 2) predicted academic performance. In conclusion, motor skills partially predict academic performance in first-year students

scholarly journals The ‘Double Transition’ for First-Year Students: Understanding the Impact of Covid-19 on South Africa’s First-Year University Students

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-92
Author(s):  
Annsilla Nyar
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Student Transition ◽  
Double Transition ◽  
First Year University ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Academic Cycle ◽  
Special Category ◽  
First Year Student

While all students are affected by the advent of the Covid‑19 pandemic, the first‑year student population remains a special category of vulnerability for higher education. This is on account of the way the Covid‑19 pandemic has disrupted their transition into university and complicated the nature of their entry into and through the formal academic cycle. This article uses the notion of a ‘double transition’ as a framework for positioning and locating the first‑year student transition within the context of the prevailing Covid‑19 pandemic. ‘Double transition’ refers to an additional transition coupled with that of the first‑year transition, with regard to the extraordinary situation of students navigating their entry into the unfamiliar terrain of academia while simultaneously navigating the Covid‑19 pandemic. The article provides a circumscribed summary of the effects of Covid‑19 on university students and looks to describe and explain the nature and shape of first‑year transitions in relation to the transition necessitated by the Covid‑19 pandemic. It concludes with four key strategies for supporting first‑year students as the pandemic continues.

scholarly journals University students’ social interaction type specifics in the learning process

2019 ◽  
Vol 69 ◽  
pp. 00093
Author(s):  
Olga Rodina ◽  
Liubov Gladkova ◽  
Olga Selivanova
Keyword(s):  
Social Interaction ◽  
University Students ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
First Year ◽  
Interaction Type ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Theoretical Approaches ◽  
Conflict Situations ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
First Year University

The author highlights the importance of human social interaction in training university students.The paper presents an overview of the conceptual aspects of social interaction in scientific research.Based on theoretical approaches to the definition of social interaction, the paper defines “social interaction” in the context of the classroom activities.The aim of the paper is to investigate and define the first-year university students’ interaction specifics in the learning process.The experiment involved 118 students from the Institute of Geology and Oil and Gas Production.On the basis of K.Thomas-Kilmann’s test questionnaire focused on determining a leading interaction type in conflict situations, social interaction type specifics of the first-year students of technical specialties were determined and described.

Predictors of Mental Health and School-Related Outcomes in First Year University Students: Identifying Prevention Targets

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Duffy ◽  
Charles Keown-Stoneman ◽  
Sarah Goodday ◽  
Julie Horrocks ◽  
Matthew Lowe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
University Students ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year University

First-Year Students' Self-Perceived Effects of Music on Two Tasks

2022 ◽  
pp. 119-134
Author(s):  
Rachel Hall Buck ◽  
Erica Payne
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Assessment Tasks ◽  
Perceived Effects ◽  
First Year University ◽  
Study Halls

This chapter presents results from a study with first-year university students completing online courses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal of the study is to further understand how the same genre of music might impact the completion of two very different assessment tasks. Students in the study participated in two different virtual “study halls” in order to study for their semester final assessments. While further research is needed, results do highlight the need for students to be aware of which type of music to listen to while studying and specifically what kind of cognitive task they are completing.

Trends in the prevalence and severity of depressive symptoms among undergraduate students at a South African University, 2016–2019

2020 ◽  
pp. 008124632097775
Author(s):  
Kim-Louise Rousseau ◽  
Sabrina Thompson ◽  
Lea-Ann Pileggi ◽  
Michelle Henry ◽  
Kevin GF Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Suicidal Ideation ◽  
University Students ◽  
Mood Disorders ◽  
South African ◽  
High Income ◽  
First Year ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Low And Middle Income

University students are particularly vulnerable to mood disorders. This vulnerability may be increasing, with recent investigations reporting sharp rises in the prevalence of depression and other psychiatric disorders. Moreover, previous studies indicate that first-year undergraduates tend to show more depression and suicidal ideation than students in subsequent years. However, most studies in the extant literature emerge from high-income countries in the global north; relatively few focus on university students in low- and middle-income countries such as South Africa. Because students in low- and middle-income countries are more likely to be exposed to crime and trauma, and less likely to have easily accessible mental health services, they might be at even higher risk for developing mood disorders than their counterparts in high-income countries. Furthermore, most previous studies of mental health in university students analyse cross-sectional data and therefore cannot comment on longitudinal patterns in the data. To fill these knowledge gaps, the current study aimed to describe recent trends in depression and suicidal ideation among South African university students. We analysed both archival ( n = 2593) and original ( n = 499) Beck Depression Inventory-Second Edition reports, sampled between 2016 and 2019. As expected, depression and suicidal ideation scores increased significantly over time, and first-year students reported significantly more depression and suicidal ideation than students in subsequent years of study. These findings suggest that preventive interventions during sensitive periods of undergraduate study are imperative and provide a foundation for treatment strategies tailored to the needs of the most vulnerable South African students.

University Students' Adjustment Problems

1998 ◽  
Vol 82 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1135-1138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Varghese Iepen Cherian ◽  
Lily Cherian
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Representative Sample ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
First Year ◽  
Adjustment Problems ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
The North ◽  
The University ◽  
First Year University ◽  
University Of The North

Considerable information is available on the adjustment problems of first-year university students in developed countries, but comparatively little is known about such problems in Asia and Africa. This study of a representative sample of 1257 first-year students conducted at the University of the North showed that 33 to 85% of the first-year students experienced various adjustment problems.

scholarly journals THE PSYCHOLOGICAL FEATURES OF ADAPTATION IN FIRST-YEAR UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-53
Author(s):  
Aleksandr Viktorovich Antonovskii ◽  
Elena Vladimirovna Balakshina ◽  
Svetlana Igorevna Filippchenkova
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Emotional Experience ◽  
Well Being ◽  
First Year ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
University Environment ◽  
First Year University ◽  
Psychological Features

Background. The article deals with the psychological features of adaptation in first-year university students. The main criteria indicating successful or failed adaptation are highlighted. The study was based on the concept describing human adaptation to changing environmental conditions as a dynamic process, as well as on psychological approaches that reveal the specific aspects of adaptation within the system of complex social relations of a new type. Aim. The article aims to study the features of adaptation in first-year university students through psychodiagnostics for the possibility of compensating negative trends in adaptation to new living conditions. Material and methods. The specificity of the response to educational conditions and students’ adaptation was determined by means of psychodiagnostics of subjective well-being, communicative tolerance, motivation for studying at University, moral normativity of behavior and neuropsychic stability. The sample consisted of students of technical and humanitarian specialties (n =284) aged from 17 to 21 years. Results. A number of important regularities have been established, the main of which are high communicative tolerance, orientation to compliance with the rules, intermediate type of motivation for studying, as well as differences in the severity of the studied characteristics in students, males and females. Conclusion. Adaptation to the components of university environment by first-year students is possible with the activation of all adaptation mechanisms. The nature of adaptation can be assessed through observation of students’ behavior in the team, as well as through the diagnosis of emotional experience, nervous tension, subjective well-being and communicative characteristics, which creates the basis for psychological and pedagogical support of young professionals.

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