Prevalence and Predictors of Depression, Anxiety and Stress among Pharmacy Students from Umm Al-Qura University, Saudi Arabia

Introduction: There is an increasing concern about the effect of mental diseases on academic performance, especially among students from the health specialties. However, very limited studies were done on depression, anxiety, and stress among pharmacy students in Makkah. The current study aimed to determine the prevalence and predictors of depression, anxiety, and stress among pharmacy students from Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among pharmacy students from both genders in 2018/2019. A standardized self-administered data collection sheet was used. It contained information about the personal, socio-demographic data, the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), and Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence (SSREI) scale. Descriptive and inferential statistics were done. Stepwise multiple logistic regression analyses were done. Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Results: The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among pharmacy students was high; 62.8%, 59.0%, and 49.2%, respectively. Younger students suffered more from stress compared to older students. In regression analysis, academic stress was associated with the increased risk of depression, anxiety, and stress. However, good general life satisfaction is a predictor of decreasing depression, anxiety, and stress. Better emotional intelligence is also a predictor of decreased depression (aOR = 0.195; 95% CI: 0.09-0.42) and stress (aOR = 0.4; 95% CI: 0.21-0.72). A longer duration of physical exercise is another predictor for lowering stress. Conclusion: The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress was high among pharmacy students. Academic stress was a predictor for depression, anxiety, and stress. General life satisfaction and high EI were protective from the three mental illnesses. A longer duration of physical exercise is a predictor for decreasing stress. Screening programs are needed for the detection and management of depression, anxiety, and stress among pharmacy students. Psychosocial and academic support services are needed for the management of academic stress. Training courses and educational programs are needed for improving the EI of pharmacy students. Encourage the practicing a longer duration of physical activities is needed.

Attachments to Mother, Father, and Romantic Partner as Predictors of Life Satisfaction

Two correlational survey studies were conducted among adult samples (Ns = 205; 697) to test the effects on general life satisfaction of attachment to three close others: mother, father, and romantic partner. Results showed that attachment to mother and father also matter in adulthood, in that they are associated with adult life satisfaction. Secure attachments to mother and father were positively associated with life satisfaction, and anxious and avoidant attachments to mother and father were negatively associated with life satisfaction. Moreover, attachment to the romantic partner was also related to life satisfaction, so that secure attachment was positively related to life satisfaction, and anxious and avoidant attachments were negatively related to the outcome variable. Importantly, attachment to mother and father were still significant predictors of life satisfaction when effects of attachment to the current romantic partner were controlled for. The effects of parental attachments on life satisfaction were not mediated by attachment to the romantic partner. Theoretical and applied implications of the findings are discussed.

Double burden? Implications of indebtedness to general life satisfaction following negative life events in international comparison

While debt is not problematic per se, it can become an additional burden when people experience negative life events–like unemployment, a severe disease, divorce, or their partner’s death–which can be detrimental for individuals’ subjective wellbeing. We investigate first, a potential moderating effect of economic resources or, better yet, lack thereof in the relations between negative life events and general life satisfaction, and second, whether this moderating effect is a function of state-level policies. We expect that, on average, debt has a reinforcing effect on the negative relationship between negative life events and general life satisfaction. Moreover, we expect that country-level policies protecting individuals from the negative consequences of experiencing a negative life event or indebtedness can explain the country differences in the moderating effect of debt. We test our assumptions among the population aged 50+ applying data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement (SHARE). We apply a two-stage fixed-effects regression approach to estimate the moderation effect of debt on the relationship between negative life events and general life satisfaction within and across countries. Although we find an almost zero average moderating effect of debt across countries, we find large variance in the moderating effects between countries. This variance can be explained by debt regime, but not by the generosity of the public unemployment and the public health systems, or the level of gender equality.

Aging during COVID-19 in Germany: a longitudinal analysis of psychosocial adaptation

Existing theories of aging suggest that there may be similarities and differences in how COVID-19 impacts older people’s psychosocial adaptation compared to younger age groups, particularly middle-aged individuals. To assess the degree to which these impacts vary, we analyzed data from 3098 participants between the ages of 40 and 79 from an online survey in Germany. Data were collected at three measurement occasions between the start of the nationwide lockdown in mid-March 2020 and the end of the lockdown in early August 2020. The survey focused on everyday experiences during the COVID-19 crisis and collected various satisfaction ratings (e.g., general life satisfaction, satisfaction with family life, satisfaction with social contacts). At baseline, participants also provided retrospective ratings of satisfaction for the period before the COVID-19 crisis. In our analyses, we compared satisfaction ratings of middle-aged (40–64 years) and older individuals (65–79 years) and found that both middle-aged and older participants experienced the greatest decreases in satisfaction with social contacts, with more pronounced decreases seen in middle-aged participants. A similar pattern was observed for general life satisfaction, but the overall decreases were less pronounced in both groups compared to the decreases in satisfaction with social contacts. We also observed a partial recovery effect in all measures at the last measurement occasion, and this effect was more pronounced in older adults. Findings were also confirmed using age as a continuous variable and checking for linear and nonlinear effects of outcomes across the age range. Although ageism arose during the pandemic in the sense that older adults were labeled as a “risk group,” particularly at the start of the outbreak, we found consistently with other studies that middle-aged adults’ satisfaction decreased to a greater extent than that of older adults.

Characterization of young graduates perceiving underemployement: Assessment of well-being and discomfort associated with this perception

Previous research has shown that subjective underemployment is inversely associated to job satisfaction, psychological well-being and health. To our knowledge, the current is the first study that explores subjective underemployment in undergraduates in Colombia. One hundred and forty-two workers participated in a correlational, and comparative study. Results replicated previous findings: as subjective underemployment perception increased, job satisfaction and general life satisfaction decreased. Significant differences were found in the indicators of job satisfaction and general life satisfaction among those who perceive underemployment and those who do not. Finally, the potential role of subjective underemployment on employees’ health is discussed.

Indochinese Refugees In Canada: Resettlement Experiences of the Cambodian and Vietnamese Refugees in Toronto

Massive resettlement of Cambodian and Vietnamese refugees in Canada started in the late 1970s, following military and political upheaval in Indochina. The Immigration policy Act of 1976 made it easier for the Indochinese refugees to enter the country. Almost four decades after the first arrivals of Indochinese refugees to Canada under unique circumstances, their settlement experiences are poorly understood. Here, I address this shortcoming through a comparative analysis of settlement experiences of the Cambodian and Vietnamese refugees in Canada, particularly probing their “sense of belonging” to the country. In order to evaluate the sense of belonging of the Indochinese refugees, I conducted interviews with 10 participants from each of the two communities. Findings from the interviews indicated highly significant correlations between language proficiency, ethnic segregation, general life satisfaction and the Sense of belonging index. The Vietnamese refugees had a higher sense of belonging to Canada than their Cambodian counterparts.

Indochinese Refugees In Canada: Resettlement Experiences of the Cambodian and Vietnamese Refugees in Toronto

Massive resettlement of Cambodian and Vietnamese refugees in Canada started in the late 1970s, following military and political upheaval in Indochina. The Immigration policy Act of 1976 made it easier for the Indochinese refugees to enter the country. Almost four decades after the first arrivals of Indochinese refugees to Canada under unique circumstances, their settlement experiences are poorly understood. Here, I address this shortcoming through a comparative analysis of settlement experiences of the Cambodian and Vietnamese refugees in Canada, particularly probing their “sense of belonging” to the country. In order to evaluate the sense of belonging of the Indochinese refugees, I conducted interviews with 10 participants from each of the two communities. Findings from the interviews indicated highly significant correlations between language proficiency, ethnic segregation, general life satisfaction and the Sense of belonging index. The Vietnamese refugees had a higher sense of belonging to Canada than their Cambodian counterparts.

Financial Self-Efficacy and General Life Satisfaction: The Sequential Mediating Role of High Standards Tendency and Investment Satisfaction

Important strides have been made toward understanding the relationship between self-efficacy and life satisfaction. However, existing studies have largely focused on work and academic domains, leaving self-efficacy in the finance domain less frequently investigated. The present study applied the self-efficacy construct to the finance domain, namely “financial self-efficacy” (FSE), and tested the sequential mediating roles of high standards tendency and investment satisfaction in the relationship between FSE and general life satisfaction. A total of 323 employees from finance-related businesses completed anonymous questionnaires regarding FSE, high standards tendency, investment satisfaction, and general life satisfaction. Results indicated that FSE influenced general life satisfaction through investment satisfaction, and sequentially through high standards tendency and investment satisfaction. These results provide contributions to the current literature on life satisfaction, and positive psychology literature by shedding light on the roles of high standards tendency and investment satisfaction in the relation between FSE and general life satisfaction.

Life Satisfaction, Positive Affect, and Sleep Impairment in Masters Athletes: Modulation by Age, Sex, and Exercise Type

IntroductionThe masters athlete has been proposed as a model of successful aging. Research studies investigating psychological outlook in older athletes have primarily addressed negative affects including depression, anxiety, and stress. The impact of lifelong exercise on positive affect and life satisfaction as well as sleep impairment that could impact on these psychological states is largely unknown.MethodsA series of questionnaires (general life satisfaction, positive affect, and sleep-related impairment) were administered to 240 masters athletes participating in the World Masters Athletics Championships. Total raw scores were converted into T scores for comparison with the general population. Meaningful difference was defined by the PROMIS® as one-half standard deviation from the centering sample.ResultsMeaningful differences were observed for improved general life satisfaction and reduced sleep impairment for all masters athletes. Positive affect did not reach the meaningful difference threshold. No significant sex differences were found for any of the questionnaires (all p > 0.05). Similarly, no significant differences were found between endurance, sprint, and strength/power sports for general life satisfaction (p = 0.18), positive affect (p = 0.46), and sleep impairment (p = 0.77). In general, life satisfaction increased with age (r = 0.15, p = 0.02), and sleep impairment trended towards reduction with age (r = −0.13, p = 0.05). Positive affect demonstrated no correlation with age (r = 0.09, p = 0.18).ConclusionThis study demonstrates that the lifestyles of masters athletes contribute to improved general life satisfaction and reduced sleep impairment but not improved positive affect. The beneficial effects were observed irrespective of age, gender, and sporting types.

Emotional Intelligence and its Relationship to Leadership, Depression, Anxiety and Stress among Pharmacy Students, Makkah, Saudi Arabia

Background: Emotional Intelligence (EI) is the capability of an individual to recognize his own and others’ emotions. The current study was conducted to describe the EI and its relation to leadership, stress, anxiety, and depression among pharmacy students at Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among pharmacy students enrolled in the Faculty of Pharmacy at Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, during the educational year 2018/2019. A standardized data collection sheet was used. It inquired about personal and socio-demographic data, habits, general life satisfaction, and the academic stress. It contained also the Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence (SSREI) scale, Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS), and the authentic leadership questionnaires. Descriptive, inferential statistics and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted. Results: A total of 400 pharmacy students enrolled in the study. Their mean age was 21.61± 1.45 years. The total EI score (mean ± SD) was 118.42± 14.60. The predictors of the overall EI score were students' high leadership score (>48), general life satisfaction, and physical activity. EI was positively correlated with the authentic leadership scale and negatively correlated to DASS. Conclusion: Pharmacy students at UQU have above average EI score. Higher EI was positively associated with better leadership capacity and higher EI was negatively associated with depression, anxiety, and stress levels. Physical activity is an important EI predictor.