Psychological distress and well-being among students of health disciplines in Geneva, Switzerland: The importance of academic satisfaction in the context of academic year-end and COVID-19 stress on their learning experience

Abstract

Introduction University students’ psychological health is linked to their academic satisfaction. This study aimed to investigate students’ psychological health and academic satisfaction in the context of COVID-19 and academic year-end stress. Materials and methods Standardized self-filled scales for anxiety, depression, stress, psychological well-being, academic satisfaction (subjective assessment of students’ quality of life in their educational setting), and an ad-hoc scale for stress on the learning experience due to COVID-19 were used in this cross-sectional study. Participants were first- to third-year students of eight different health-related tracks in Geneva, Switzerland. Descriptive statistics and hierarchical regression analyses were applied. Results In June 2020, out of 2835 invited students, 433 (15%) completed the survey. Academic satisfaction was a stronger mental health predictor than COVID-19 stress on the learning experience, which mainly predicted stress and anxiety. Lower academic satisfaction scores were significantly associated with stress (β = −0.53, p < 0.001), depression (β = −0.26, p < 0.001), anxiety (β = −0.20, p < 0.001), while higher scores with psychological well-being (β = 0.48, p < 0.001). Identifying as female was strongly associated with anxiety and stress but not with depression or psychological well-being. Lower age was associated with stress only. The nature of the academic training had a lesser impact on mental health and the academic year had no impact. Conclusions Academic satisfaction plays a more substantial role than COVID-19 stress on the learning experience in predicting students’ overall mental health status. Training institutions should address the underlying factors that can enhance students’ academic satisfaction, especially during the COVID-19 period, in addition to ensuring that they have a continuous and adequate learning experience, as well as access to psychosocial services that help them cope with mental distress and enhance their psychological well-being.

Determining cut-off values and predictors for the Snaith–Hamilton Pleasure Scale: comparison between clinical and school settings

“…Furthermore, our logistic regression model identified risk factors for depression in the nonclinical group, including lower academic satisfaction and poor help-seeking behaviours. These findings are consistent with those of previous research, which demonstrated a significant correlation between lower academic satisfaction and depression (β = −0.26, P < 0.001); 36 they are also consistent with the results of a large-scale national survey that revealed a significant correlation between decreased help-seeking behaviours and depressive symptoms. 37 Moreover, the model showed protective factors against depression in the nonclinical group, including father's parenting attitude and good attendance at school.…”

Adaptation and Validation of the Academic Stress Scale in the Italian Context: Latent Structure, Reliability, and Concurrent Validity

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Coping methods among Polish students during Covid-19 pandemic

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