Browsing by Subject "College student"

Now showing 1 - 6 of 6

College student growth after a stressful period : the effects of demographics and experiencing distress and suicidality on self-reported domains of growth
(2016-08) Hentschel, Elizabeth Amanda Wilson; Drum, David J.; Ainslie, Ricardo C; Bost, Jane; Brownson, Chris B; McCarthy, Christopher J
Stakeholders in college student mental health have called for a shift in focus from disease to wellness. In response, researchers have exerted increasing effort exploring factors that foster and maintain mental health among this population. One such germane factor is posttraumatic growth (PTG). Researchers knowledgeable about this phenomenon posit that individuals can endure a subjectively traumatic experience, cope successfully with the effects of that trauma, and thereby function better than before the trauma. Although researchers have identified various dimensions of growth, they have acknowledged the sociocultural relativism of existing measures, suggesting the possibility of differential growth potential among diverse populations, as well as the possible existence of unidentified domains. In addition, according to the model most widely used to describe the PTG phenomenon, growth necessitates some level of distress. Distress and suicidality remain common experiences among college students, yet the effects of these, particularly suicidality, on growth potential remain unclear. While a burgeoning area of research, existing knowledge of PTG indicates that college life may be characterized by maximized potential for personal growth. Moreover, researchers have suggested PTG may relate positively to outcomes including perceived comprehensibility, manageability, and meaningfulness of life; resourcing of social support and helpers; and appreciation for life. Researchers have called for exploratory analyses of PTG. The current study aimed to address persistent gaps in the literature through the analysis of data gathered from a national, multisite sample of diverse higher education students. The current study employed both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, including content analysis and binary logistic regression analyses. Seventeen domains of growth were identified, and the relationship among demographic variables, distress and suicidality, and growth were tested to ascertain each independent variable’s effect on the likelihood of endorsing growth in each domain. Findings from this study illuminate the current understanding of growth among college students and have implications for prevention and outreach efforts promoting well-being among this population.
Examining resiliency in college students from single-parent structures
(2018-01-24) Linton, Brittany Anne; Awad, Germine H.; Carlson, Cindy; McCarthy, Chris; Hill, George
According to recent data, approximately twenty-seven percent of children under age eighteen live in single-parent households. The majority of research has focused on negative outcomes associated with children and adolescents from one-parent households, including poor academic performance and increased delinquency, comparing them to their two-parent counterparts. The bulk of current literature neglects to consider potentially normative functioning for those whom were raised in a single-parent home, especially psychosocial coping resources for the higher educational setting. Hierarchical regressions examined the role of three psychosocial factors for a number of positive outcomes for 319 college students from single-mother homes. Healthy family functioning was found to be predictive of fewer distressing mental health symptoms, higher levels of life satisfaction, and higher degrees of self-confidence in domains pertinent to college success when controlling for relevant demographic factors. Resiliency and optimism were also found to be predictive of these outcomes, with resiliency having the strongest predictive capabilities of all psychosocial factors. However, psychosocial predictors did not meaningfully predict grade point average (GPA), a measure of academic performance. Moderation analyses revealed that optimism did not serve as a useful moderator between resiliency and life satisfaction or college self-confidence. Study findings suggest interventions to bolster resiliency and coping may benefit students from single-mother households college success, in a similar fashion to what we would expect to see amongst the general college student population.
Facebook use in college students : facing the learning motivation of young adults
(2012-08) Huang, Chu-Jen; Schallert, Diane L.; Falbo, Toni
This study explored college students’ perceptions of Facebook, focusing on their views of Facebook as an informal learning environment, how the features of Facebook motivate students’ learning, and the relationship between motivation and interest triggered when using Facebook. Participants were surveyed via an online survey program in order to examine whether their perceptions and experiences with Facebook (Madge, Wellens, & Hooley, 2009) and how the features of Facebook motivated users’ learning. This study provides evidence to support the idea that interest and motivated actions on Facebook are related. For example, students mostly read (click) posts that are related to things they are learning and therefore they are mostly self-motivated to reply to posts in which they are interested. In addition, in support of the four-phase model of interest development (Hidi & Renninger, 2006), students’ positive feelings, which is interest, plays a crucial role in developing individual interest which leads to self-regulated learning.
First-year college student interest in second-year retention programs : an examination of applicant profiles and motivations
(2013-08) Obert, Brian Kenneth; Reddick, Richard, 1972-; González, Juan Carlos, 1952-
Many higher education institutions offer first-year college students the opportunity to participate in second-year retention programs in order to support the persistence of college students who seek assistance in navigating the college experience. Research regarding the traits that characterize second-year students and what the second-year experience entails is still in progress. (Braxton, 2000; Hunter et al. 2009; Schaller, 2000, 2005, 2010; Schreiner & Pattengale, 2000). While the existing research has built the foundation for research around the second-year experience, additional research is required to compose a truly holistic picture of the second-year experience. The purpose of this study is to identify the characteristics of first-year students who choose to apply to second-year retention programs and why they choose to apply to such programs. The study will address three research questions. 1. What are the characteristics of students who apply to participate in a second-year retention program? 2. What student noncognitive variables reflect which students apply to participate in a second-year retention program? 3. What factors do first-year students consider when determining whether or not they will participate in a second-year retention program? A mixed methods explanatory design (Cresswell & Plano-Clark, 2007) was implemented to investigate the research questions. The research population was composed of 337 first-year college students, primarily first generation students and students of color, eligible for participation in a second-year retention program at a large research institution in the western United States. This study hopes to contribute to a greater understanding of the characteristics of first-year students who choose to apply to participate in second-year retention programs and why they choose to apply. The findings can inform universities as to how they can offer more effective support of second-year students in a manner relevant to their needs.
The impact of suicide prevention gatekeeper training on Resident Assistants
(2013-08) Swanbrow Becker, Martin Alan; Drum, David J.
College student suicide is a significant concern on university campuses and suicide prevention has become a focus for outreach intervention. While college counseling centers appear effective in helping students who present for treatment, suicidal students also seem to underutilize professional help. Gatekeeper training programs have emerged to help colleges and universities tap into existing student social networks to encourage early intervention. Gatekeeper training is a type of suicide prevention intervention used to encourage members of the university community to identify, engage, and refer suicidal students to professional help. Resident Assistants are often a focus of such training as they exist in the living environment of students and may be more able to identify student distress than other staff. However, the potential for adverse mental health impact on those RAs we call upon to help is not well understood and no studies to date have examined the impact of suicide prevention training on their mental health. Using data from surveys administered in connection with the participation of Resident Assistants in Suicide Prevention Training at The University of Texas at Austin, this study explores the mental health impact on RAs associated with their serving as gatekeepers. Multiple regression analyses were used to study the impact of intervention load, perceived role responsibility, the acquisition of suicide prevention content knowledge and perceived competency to perform the duties of a gatekeeper, and support-seeking behavior on the stress and distress of RAs over the course of a semester. Results suggest that RAs appear resilient to situational stress experienced with resident mental health interventions. RAs also appear to have considerable prior, personal experience with suicidal thinking and others who are suicidal. Additionally, they generally report not seeking support as often as they could, yet also increasingly turn to their co-workers in residence life for support. A repeated measures ANOVA analysis found that over the course of the semester RAs reported an increased threshold for engaging in interventions with residents and for seeking support for themselves. Implications for gatekeeper training and future research are discussed.
Towards an understanding of college student distress, suicidality, and connectedness
(2014-08) Saathoff, Andrea Katherine; Drum, David J.
Suicide is a national problem and is the second leading cause of death among college students. The concern, however, does not rest solely for those students who seriously consider suicide, but also for those who struggle with distress and do not seek help. Scholars have called for suicide prevention efforts to take a population-based intervention approach, as the majority of campus counseling centers are under-resourced and overwhelmed with demand. Increasing connectedness on college campuses has been considered a key strategy for suicide prevention, as connectedness is linked to health and wellbeing and is also theorized to play an important role in preventing the desire for death. However, little is known about how connectedness manifests for college students and the ways in which connectedness is related to distress and suicidal thoughts. The current exploratory study builds upon existing research by examining the relationship between connectedness, distress, and suicidal thinking. More specifically, the study examines the extent to which connectedness protects students against the development of distress and suicidal thoughts. Moreover, it examines the relationship between gender, sexual orientation, and membership in student groups with connectedness, distress, and suicidal thoughts. This information contributes to a fuller understanding of the factors that may protect people from suicidal thoughts and improve campus suicide prevention efforts, with the aim of bolstering the mental health of the college community. The study uses archival data from a national survey of college student coping collected in 2011 by The National Research Consortium of Counseling Centers in Higher Education. Multiple and logistic regression were used to explore relationships between historical and demographic predictors, self-reported connectedness, distress, and suicidal thoughts during a stressful period. Results indicated that connectedness was negatively related to distress and suicidal thinking. Females endorsed lower connectedness and higher distress than males. Non-heterosexual students endorsed lower connectedness, higher distress, and higher odds of suicidal thinking compared to heterosexual students. Membership in student groups was related to higher connectedness and lower distress, differences were found in the types of groups of which students were members. Implications for population level campus interventions are discussed.