Subjective well-being and religiosity in Egyptian college students

A sample of 224 Egyptian college students (101 men, 123 women) was recruited. Their ages ranged from 17 to 29 years (M = 18.9, SD = 1.5). They responded to the Arabic versions of the Oxford Happiness Inventory, the Love of Life Scale, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale, as well as five separate single-item self-rating scales assessing physical health, mental health, happiness, satisfaction, and religiosity. All correlations between the measures and rating scales of subjective well-being and religiosity were statistically significant and positive, the largest between satisfaction and religiosity. Only one factor was retained in principal components factor analysis of the correlation matrix and labeled "Well-being and religiosity." It was concluded that religious persons in the present sample reported higher subjective well-being.     

Social cognitive predictors of well-being in African college students

Lent and Brown's (2006, 2008) social cognitive model of work well-being was tested in two samples of African college students, one from Angola (N = 241) and one from Mozambique (N = 425). Participants completed domain-specific measures of academic self-efficacy, environmental support, goal progress, and satisfaction, along with measures of global positive affect and life satisfaction. Path analyses indicated that the model fit the data well overall, both in the full sample and in separate sub-samples by country and gender. Contrary to expectations, however, self-efficacy predicted academic satisfaction only indirectly, via goal progress; and goal progress predicted life satisfaction only indirectly, via academic satisfaction. The predictors accounted for substantial portions of the variance in both academic domain satisfaction and life satisfaction. Implications for research and practice involving the social cognitive model are considered.     

The relationship between Facebook and the well-being of undergraduate college students

We investigated how Facebook use and attitudes relate to self-esteem and college adjustment, and expected to find a positive relationship between Facebook and social adjustment, and a negative relationship between Facebook, self-esteem, and emotional adjustment. We examined these relationships in first-year and upper-class students and expected to find differences between the groups. Seventy undergraduate students completed Facebook measures (time, number of friends, emotional and social connection to Facebook), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and the Student Adaptation to College Scale. First-year students had a stronger emotional connection to and spent more time on Facebook while they reported fewer friends than upper-class students did. The groups did not differ in the adjustment scores. The number of Facebook friends potentially hinders academic adjustment, and spending a lot of time on Facebook is related to low self-esteem. The number of Facebook friends was negatively associated with emotional and academic adjustment among first-year students but positively related to social adjustment and attachment to institution among upper-class students. The results suggest that the relationship becomes positive later in college life when students use Facebook effectively to connect socially with their peers. Lastly, the number of Facebook friends and not the time spent on Facebook predicted college adjustment, suggesting the value of studying further the notion of Facebook friends.     

Diet, exercise, and physical discomfort in college students

778 students in a 4-yr. urban commuter college were tested to determine the effects of exercise and diet on self-reported discomfort. High exercisers reported significantly less physical discomfort than moderate or low exercisers. Greater consumption of sweets and fast food were significantly related to reported physical discomfort regardless of levels of exercise. High levels of fruit and vegetable consumption were associated with less discomfort in high exercisers. High dairy consumption was significantly related to fewer symptoms for high exercisers. Men who reported high ingestion of caffeine had significantly more discomfort than those who reported moderate to lower ingestion of caffeine.     

Friendship, real-ideal discrepancies, and well-being: gender differences in college students

Do men and women have different ideals for their friendships? What do men and women experience when their actual friendship experiences fall short of their ideals? The authors of the current study investigated gender differences in real-ideal same-sex best friendships and friendship discrepancy scores. Correlates of friendship discrepancies were also examined. For this purpose, a sample of 382 college students completed the McGill Friendship Questionnaire (M. J. Mendelson & F. E. Aboud, 1999), the Friendship Conflict Scale (M. Demir & L. A. Weitekamp, 2007), the Need Satisfaction Scale (J. G. La Guardia, R. M. Ryan, C. E. Couchman, & E. L. Deci, 2000), and the PANAS (D. Watson, L. A. Clark, & A. Tellegen, 1988). Results showed that (a) the real and ideal best friendships of women were higher in quality and lower in conflict when compared to those of men; and (b) men's discrepancy scores for friendship quality were significantly higher when compared to women, whereas no differences were obtained on friendship conflict discrepancy scores. Findings also revealed that for both women and men, discrepancy scores were negatively related to friendship satisfaction, happiness, and satisfaction of basic psychological needs. The authors discuss the findings in light of theory, highlight ways to address relationship discrepancies, and make suggestions for future research.     

Social cognitive and self-construal predictors of well-being among African college students in the US

We examined social cognitive and cultural predictors of academic satisfaction in African students studying at American universities. In addition to predictors drawn directly from the social cognitive model of work and educational well-being (Lent, 2004; Lent & Brown, 2006, 2008), self-construal was included in the predictive model as a culture-specific variable with potential relevance to academic satisfaction. Self-construal refers to the way in which one's thoughts, behaviors, and feelings are guided by one's relationship to self and others (Markus & Kitayama, 1991). The findings indicated that the model, with some modification, fit the data well and accounted for 59% of the variance in academic satisfaction. The findings also suggested that the three indicators of self-construal (personal, relational, and collective) do not relate directly to academic satisfaction but rather operate through mediated pathways. Implications of the findings for research and practice are discussed.     

Two tests of the social cognitive model of well-being in Portuguese college students

A social cognitive model of well-being (Lent & Brown, 2006, 2008) was tested in two studies (one cross-sectional, one longitudinal) with Portuguese college students. Participants in Study 1 (N = 366) completed measures of academic self-efficacy, environmental support, goal progress, academic satisfaction and stress, trait positive affect, and overall life satisfaction at a single assessment. Those in Study 2 (N = 158) took the same measures at each of two time points, 15 weeks apart. A modified version of the model improved the fit to the data in Study 1. Optimal fit in Study 2 was achieved with a bidirectional version that modeled reciprocal relations of positive affect to both self-efficacy and support. The predictors in both studies accounted for substantial portions of the variance in academic domain satisfaction, academic stress, and life satisfaction. Implications for future research on the social cognitive model in educational and work settings are considered.     

Mental health of Iranian high school and college students

The objectives of this study were to investigate the mental health of Iranian high school and college students with regard to sex differences and to compare the results with those from other countries. The sample included 159 high school students (79 boys, 80 girls) and 160 college students (80 boys, 80 girls). The Middlesex Hospital Questionnaire was used to measure free floating anxiety, depression, phobia, obsession, and somatization. Significant effects of group and sex were noted for phobia, but for depression only the main effect of group was significant. For other scales neither the main effects of group and sex nor their interactions were significant. Iranian college students showed more anxiety than their British peers.     

Attachment, self-compassion, empathy, and subjective well-being among college students and community adults

Research on subjective well-being suggests that it is only partly a function of environmental circumstances. There may be a personality characteristic or a resilient disposition toward experiencing high levels of well-being even in unfavorable circumstances. Adult attachment may contribute to this resilient disposition. This study examined whether the association between attachment anxiety and subjective well-being was mediated by Neff's (2003a, 2003b) concept of self-compassion. It also examined empathy toward others as a mediator in the association between attachment avoidance and subjective well-being. In Study 1, 195 college students completed self-report surveys. In Study 2, 136 community adults provided a cross-validation of the results. As expected, across these 2 samples, findings suggested that self-compassion mediated the association between attachment anxiety and subjective well-being, and emotional empathy toward others mediated the association between attachment avoidance and subjective well-being.     

Friends and family: A cross-cultural investigation of social support and subjective well-being among college students

Despite the growing number of cross-cultural studies focusing on well-being, little is known about social support outside of western civilization, particularly among people in Middle Eastern cultures. The current study examined the relationships between perceived social support and components of subjective well-being (i.e. positive and negative affect, satisfaction with life) among college students in Iran, Jordan, and the United States. Perceived support from family significantly predicted each aspect of well-being within each country. However, perceived support from friends did not predict any component of well-being in Iran; yet, in Jordan and the US, friend support predicted higher levels of positive mood. These results will be examined in terms of roles and relationship norms in these countries.     

Romantic relationships and the physical and mental health of college students

This study tested the hypothesis that, analogous to married individuals, college students in committed romantic relationships experience greater well-being than single college students. In a sample of 1,621 college students, individuals in committed relationships experienced fewer mental health problems and were less likely to be overweight/obese. There were no significant differences between groups in frequency of physical health problems. Examination of 2 models suggested that being in a committed romantic relationship decreases problematic outcomes largely through a reduction in sexual partners, which in turn decreases both risky behaviors and problematic outcomes. These results are discussed in the context of how premarital dating relationships may contribute to understanding of the observed association between marriage and well-being.     

The relationship of depression to health risk behaviors and health perceptions in Korean college students

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of depression to health risk behaviors and health perceptions in Korean college students. The sample consisted of 434 students, ranging in age from 18 to 28 years, who were attending four universities in Korea. Data were collected using the Beck Depression Inventory, the Symptom Pattern Scale, and the Short Form Health Survey. Results indicate that the students were mildly depressed. The prevalence of alcohol consumption during the previous month was 84.6% and for smoking it was 33.6%. The majority of the students reported a low occurrence of symptoms of psychological distress and evaluated their health as either very good or good. The level of depression predicted alcohol consumption, symptom pattern, and physical health. Students who were more depressed reported more symptoms and perceived their health as worse compared with those who were less depressed. The students who were less depressed drank more alcohol. Depression did not predict smoking.     

Associations between aspects of spiritual well-being, alcohol use, and related social-cognitions in female college students

This research explores relationships between aspects of spiritual well-being, alcohol use and related social-cognitions in college women. The sample included 151 female college students ranging in age from 18 to 25 years. Participants read a behavioral vignette depicting alcohol use by a student and completed a survey that included measures of alcohol use, counterfactual attributions and beliefs about drinking, as well as religious and existential aspects of spiritual well-being. Results suggested religious- and existential well-being to be inversely associated with indices of alcohol use and the likelihood of attending a social event where alcohol is present. Further, religious well-being was found to be negatively associated with beliefs concerning the social-effects of alcohol, while existential well-being was observed to be a significant predictor of a composite set of attributions related to alcohol prevention. Importantly, these data suggest religious and existential aspects of spiritual well-being as moderators of behavior as well as causal attributions and beliefs that represent a cognitive mechanism of alcohol prevention in college women. Use of counterfactual exercises as an educational technique, and potential barriers of religious and existential oriented prevention programs are briefly discussed.     

Satisfaction with college by traditional and nontraditional college students

University students (N=433) were surveyed about their satisfaction with a number of campus services and opportunities. Comparisons between traditional (up to 24 years old) and nontraditional (25 years old and older) students indicated the latter valued learning and school opportunities more and appreciated the efforts of their professors in interacting with them and communicating information. A number of similarities were noted. University administrations need to be aware of the important differences between such groups to be able to enhance students' satisfaction.     

Associations between multiple health risk behaviors and mental health among Chinese college students

Although there is substantial evidence that health risk behaviors increase risks of premature morbidity and mortality, little is known about the multiple health risk behaviors in Chinese college students. Here, we investigated the prevalence of multiple health risk behaviors and its relation to mental health among Chinese college students. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Wuhan, China from May to June 2012. The students reported their health risk behaviors using self-administered questionnaires. Depression and anxiety were assessed using the self-rating depression scale and self-rating anxiety scale, respectively. A total of 2422 college students (1433 males) aged 19.7 ± 1.2 years were participated in the study. The prevalence of physical inactivity, sleep disturbance, poor dietary behavior, Internet addiction disorder (IAD), frequent alcohol use and current smoking was 62.0, 42.6, 29.8, 22.3, 11.6 and 9.3%, respectively. Significantly increased risks for depression and anxiety were found among students with frequent alcohol use, sleep disturbance, poor dietary behavior and IAD. Two-step cluster analysis identified two different clusters. Participants in the cluster with more unhealthy behaviors showed significantly increased risk for depression (odds ratio (OR): 2.21; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.83, 2.67) and anxiety (OR: 2.32; 95%CI: 1.85, 2.92). This study indicates that a relatively high prevalence of multiple health risk behaviors was found among Chinese college students. Furthermore, the clustering of health risk behaviors was significantly associated with increased risks for depression and anxiety.     

Person and environmental factors associated with well-being in medical students

Medical students are exposed to demanding academic workloads and are often under considerable psychological strain. This study examined important person and environmental variables that might predict their psychological well-being. Participants were 755 students in years 2-6 from 11 Australian medical schools. A web-based survey assessed well-being, personality, professional expectations, lifestyle expectations, barriers, academic stress, and debt. A hierarchical regression analysis demonstrated that extraversion, conscientiousness, professional expectations, and lifestyle expectations were positively associated with well-being, while academic stress, which was the strongest predictor, neuroticism, and concern about debt were negatively associated. Medical students who displayed a disposition that was outgoing, conscientious, and stable, who were less stressed about their academic workload and their level of debt, and who held higher expectations for their future professional career, and expectations of a balanced lifestyle, had better well-being. Medical educators should be aware of these factors and provide support and strategies that promote well-being to students during medical training.     

大学生主观幸福感与宽恕心理的现状及关系研究

采用主观幸福感问卷和Hearland宽恕量表对237名大学生进行问卷调查,综合探讨大学生主观幸福感与宽恕心理的现状及关系。研究发现：（1）大学生的主观幸福感总体处于中等水平,女生的生活满意度显著高于男生;不同年级大学生在生活满意度和主观幸福感出现显著差异。（2）大学生宽恕心理略高于中等水平,性别间无显著性差异。（3）大学生主观幸福感与宽恕心理呈正相关,女生主观幸福感与宽恕心理的相关显著高于男生。