No abstract

The start of university life demands an adaptation period, which can sometimes have an impact on the mental health of students. A total of 233 first year psychology students answered a questionnaire based on a Beck Depression Inventory, Coping Inventory of Stressful Situations, Social Support Questionnaire and Hassles Scale. The results showed 41 per cent of those surveyed suffered of depressive symptoms and that daily hassles encountered during the first year of university could be considered a relevant risk factor for depression. This study makes it possible to observe that not all coping strategies work equally well. Only task‐centered, active coping strategies were effective. With many students having to cope with leaving home, social support also plays a fundamental role. In fact, 70 per cent of those interviewed had left their hometown in order to study. The results of this study suggest that depressive symptoms should be considered a significant problem particularly in first year students. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Perceived working conditions lead to various negative outcomes for employee behaviors, including turnover intentions. Although potential mediators for these relationships were previously identified, the importance of meaning of work has not yet been investigated. This study examines the role of this psychological resource as a mediator for the relationships between perceived working conditions and turnover intentions in a sample of 336 French workers from different job contexts. Results show that adverse working conditions were positively and significantly associated with turnover intentions. Meaning of work is negatively related to both perceived working conditions and turnover intentions. Mediation analyses for meaning of work demonstrated indirect effects of several adverse working conditions on turnover intentions. The role of meaning of work as a psychological resource for employees facing adverse working conditions is discussed, especially regarding its implications for research and practice within organizational contexts.

No abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to empirically verify a theoretical model of candidates' feedback integration in the context of individual psychological assessment (IPA). Design/methodology/approach – Structural equation modeling analyses were conducted in a two-wave longitudinal study. A total of 97 candidates completed questionnaires immediately after their feedback session as well as three months later. Findings – Results indicate that candidates' motivational intention to act on IPA feedback is a pivotal variable linking feedback perceptions and post-feedback behaviors. Source credibility, assessment face validity, as well as perception that the feedback helped increase candidate's awareness were related to motivational intention. Conversely, feedback acceptance was not related to candidates' motivation to act on feedback and post-feedback behaviors. Research limitations/implications – Because the authors relied on self-report questionnaires, future studies would benefit from including externally assessed behavioral outcomes. Future research efforts should continue distinguishing candidates' acceptance and awareness based on their distinctive contributions in the feedback integration process. Practical implications – The results indicate that motivation created during the feedback session is a stronger predictor of day-to-day behavioral changes than it is of involvement in specific developmental activities. Originality/value – This research fills a gap in IPA literature by highlighting some IPA benefits and the processes involved in increasing feedback value for the participant.