Grit is associated with lower level of depression and anxiety among university students in Chiang Mai, Thailand: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

BackgroundDepression and anxiety symptoms are prevalent among university students in both developed and developing settings. Recently, grit, defined as perseverance and passion for longterm goals, has emerged as an indicator of success and well-being. However, the relationship between grit and poor mental health outcomes among university students is largely unknown. The current study investigates the relationship of grit with depression and anxiety among university students in Chiang Mai, Thailand. MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted from January to March 2018 among university students aged 18-24 years from Chiang Mai University, the first largest university in Chiang Mai Province. Depression and anxiety were assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) Scales, respectively. Grit was measured using the 8-item Short Grit Scale (GRIT-S). Grit scores were grouped into three categories: low (below the 25 th percentile); average (from the 25 th to the 75 th percentiles); and high (above the 75 th percentile). The other covariates included variables such self-esteem and socio-demographic variables. ResultsOf the 800 participants included in the study, 405 (50.6%) were female and 395 (49.4%) were male. Respectively 21.4% and 7.8% of the participants had depression and clinical symptoms of GAD. Increasing levels of grit negatively correlated with PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores. Participants with high level of grit scored respectively 1.69 points (P <0.001) and PLOS ONE | https://doi.

Association between nutritional level, menstrual-related symptoms, and mental health in female medical students

“…In the general population, the prevalence of mood and anxiety disorders in East-Asian countries is lower than that in Western countries [25,26]. In Asian medical students, the prevalence of depression varies broadly, being 10.3% in Korea [27], 21.4% in Thailand [28], and 29% in China [29]. There are a few studies on the prevalence of depression in Japanese medical students.…”

The Influence of Chronotype and Grit on Lifestyle and Physical Activity

“…Previous studies found that grit was associated with general well-being (Salles et al, 2014;Datu et al, 2016;Kleiman et al, 2013;Hill et al, 2016;Musumari et al, 2018), but little research had been conducted to investigate the link between grit and lifestyle. Our results showed that grit was negatively and directly correlated with lifestyle score (β = -13.712, p < .001), i.e., students with higher levels of grit led significantly healthier lifestyles.…”

“…Grit has been correlated with student retention (Saunders-Scott, Braley, & Stennes-Spidahl, 2018), but perseverance was found to be most useful for predicting success (Crede, Tynan, & Harms, 2017). Grit is also associated with various well-being outcomes, such as, psychological well-being (Salles, Cohen, & Mueller, 2014), behavioral engagement, emotional engagement, flourishing (Datu, Valdez, & King, 2016), enhanced purpose in life (Kleiman, Adams, Kashdan, & Riskind, 2013;Hill, Burrow, & Bronk, 2016), and lower levels of depression and anxiety (Musumari et al, 2018). Grit may be particularly useful for those who have resolved their identities and identified with their commitments (Weisskirch, 2019).…”

Non-cognitive Skills and the Parent&ndash;child Relationship: A Cross-sectional Study

“…Moreover, our study uniquely found that NCS were associated with lifestyle as characterized by homework submission This study was also the first to examine adolescent mental health in the context of NCS. While previous research has examined mental health among university students in relation to the NCS [29,30], adolescents had not yet been considered. In addition, research has indicated that grit and school satisfaction are positively associated among adolescents [12], but few studies have examined how these items relate to mental health.…”