Factors Associated with Psychological Well-being in Students Pursuing Degrees in Health Care
Access Type
Open Access
Start Date
4-17-2024 1:45 PM
End Date
4-17-2024 2:00 PM
College
Lynchburg College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Psychology
Keywords
Mental health, Stress, Anxiety, Depression, Social Support, Sleep
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the psychological well-being of students pursuing degrees in the healthcare field. The question at the forefront of this study is whether personality traits, sleep quality and quantity, and social support predict mental health outcomes.
The specific aspects of mental health that were examined throughout this study were anxiety, depression, and stress. Undergraduate and graduate students were surveyed online, using the Google Form platform, to assess participants’ psychological well-being, personality, and approach to wellness activities through a series of questionnaires. It was hypothesized that openness, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and extraversion would be a positive predictor of depression, anxiety, and stress whereas neuroticism would be a negative predictor of these mental health problems. It was also hypothesized that better sleep, more social support, and more involvement in holistic well-being would be associated with better mental health outcomes. It was found that neuroticism was correlated with high levels of depression, anxiety, and stress, while openness, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and extraversion were not found to be related to these mental health problems. It was also found that better sleep, more social support, and perceived effectiveness of involvement in holistic well-being was associated with better mental health outcomes, while the amount of time spent participating in holistic well-being activities was not associated with better outcomes. These findings indicate that there are a variety of factors that can contribute to one’s psychological well-being. More research is needed in this field of study before definite conclusions can be formed.
Faculty Mentor(s)
Dr. Alisha Marciano, PhD Dr. Price Blair, PhD Dr. Wendy “Kathryn” Williamson, DPT
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Factors Associated with Psychological Well-being in Students Pursuing Degrees in Health Care
The purpose of this study was to examine the psychological well-being of students pursuing degrees in the healthcare field. The question at the forefront of this study is whether personality traits, sleep quality and quantity, and social support predict mental health outcomes.
The specific aspects of mental health that were examined throughout this study were anxiety, depression, and stress. Undergraduate and graduate students were surveyed online, using the Google Form platform, to assess participants’ psychological well-being, personality, and approach to wellness activities through a series of questionnaires. It was hypothesized that openness, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and extraversion would be a positive predictor of depression, anxiety, and stress whereas neuroticism would be a negative predictor of these mental health problems. It was also hypothesized that better sleep, more social support, and more involvement in holistic well-being would be associated with better mental health outcomes. It was found that neuroticism was correlated with high levels of depression, anxiety, and stress, while openness, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and extraversion were not found to be related to these mental health problems. It was also found that better sleep, more social support, and perceived effectiveness of involvement in holistic well-being was associated with better mental health outcomes, while the amount of time spent participating in holistic well-being activities was not associated with better outcomes. These findings indicate that there are a variety of factors that can contribute to one’s psychological well-being. More research is needed in this field of study before definite conclusions can be formed.