The Rise and Fall of Depressive Symptoms and Academic Stress in Two Samples of University Students

Barker, Erin T.; Barbaree, Howard E.; Villemaire-Krajden, Rosanne; Galambos, Nancy L.

doi:10.1007/s10964-018-0822-9

Cited by 101 publications

(88 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…However, it is also possible that students in the training group may have continued to practice skills learned—thus leading to more significant gains over time. The impact on perceived stress was evident at both post‐training and semester‐end, which is important given its predictive relationship to longitudinal outcomes (Barker et al, ; Zahniser & Conley, ). In comparison to prior studies (Conley et al, ), the current intervention more robustly impacted depression rather than anxiety.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The skills targeted overlap significantly with cognitive behavioral therapies (CBT) for anxiety and depression, with the additional target of growth mindset processes highlighted in psychological resilience research (Steinhardt & Dolbier, 2008). Anxiety and depression represented primary symptom outcomes, with a secondary outcome of perceived stress, as a transdiagnostic contributor to student mental health (Barker, Howard, Villemaire-Krajden, & Galambos, 2018;Zahniser & Conley, 2018). We also aimed to identify potential mechanisms of change to inform future intervention optimization.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A pragmatic clinical trial examining the impact of a resilience program on college student mental health

et al. 2019

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Background One in three college students experience significant depression or anxiety interfering with daily functioning. Resilience programs that can be administered to all students offer an opportunity for addressing this public health problem. The current study objective was to assess the benefit of a brief, universal resilience program for first‐year college students. Method First‐year students at a private, midwestern university participated. This trial used a pragmatic design, delivering the intervention within university‐identified orientation courses and was not randomized. The four‐session resilience program included goal‐building, mindfulness, and resilience skills. The comparison was orientation‐as‐usual. Primary outcomes included PROMIS® Depression and Anxiety and Connor‐Davidson Resilience Scale. Secondary and exploratory outcomes included the Perceived Stress Scale, Emotion Regulation, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Skills Questionnaires, and Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory. Time by treatment interactions at post‐training and semester‐end were examined using linear mixed models. Results Analysis included 252 students, 126 who completed resilience programming and a matched comparison sample. Resilience programming did not relate to improvements in depression at post‐training (CI: −2.53 to 1.02; p = .404, d =−0.08), but did at semester‐end (95% CI: −4.27 to −0.72; p = .006, d = −0.25) and improvements in perceived stress were observed at post‐training (CI: −3.31 to −0.44; p = .011, d = −0.24) and semester‐end (CI: −3.30 to −0.41; p = .013, d = −0.24). Emotion regulation, mindfulness, and CBT skills increased, with CBT skills mediating clinical improvements. Conclusions Universal implementation of a brief, resilience intervention may be effective for improving college student mental health.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A pragmatic clinical trial examining the impact of a resilience program on college student mental health

et al. 2019

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“…Nonetheless, at this point of time this sample is larger than in most other epidemiological studies investigating students' health (Barker et al, 2018;Ngin et al, 2018). Nevertheless, it would be beneficial to replicate the study in more universities in each country.…”

Section: Strengths and Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 94%

Associations Between Social Capital and Depressive Symptoms Among College Students in 12 Countries: Results of a Cross-National Study

et al. 2020

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Introduction: A mental health crisis has hit university campuses across the world. This study sought to determine the prevalence and social determinants of depressive symptoms among university students in twelve countries. Particular focus was placed on the association between social capital and depressive symptoms. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among students at their first year at university in Europe, Asia, the Western Pacific, and Latin and North America. Data were obtained through a self-administered questionnaire, including questions on sociodemographic characteristics, depressive symptoms, and social capital. The simplified Beck's Depression Inventory was used to measure the severity of depressive symptoms. Social capital was assessed using items drawn from the World Bank Integrated Questionnaire to Measure Social Capital. Multilevel analyses were conducted to determine the relationship between social capital and depressive symptoms, adjusting for individual covariates (e.g., perceived stress) and country-level characteristics (e.g., economic development). Results: Among 4228 students, 48% presented clinically relevant depressive symptoms. Lower levels of cognitive (OR: 1.82, 95% CI: 1.44-2.29) and behavioral social capital (OR: 1.51, 95% CI: 1.29-1.76) were significantly associated with depressive symptoms. The likelihood of having depressive symptoms was also significantly higher among those living in regions with lower levels of social capital.

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“…Overall, we observed that students with food insecurity are disproportionately launching their university careers with poorer mental health in addition to socioeconomic disadvantage. In our prior work, 38% to 50% of first-year students scored at or above clinical screening thresholds for depression 12 and risk for depression was greater for students with current financial stress 13 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 80%

Mental health of students reporting food insecurity during the transition to university

Barbaree¹,

Barker²

2020

Preprint

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The present study examined differences in mental health and well-being between students with and without suspected food insecurity during their transition to university. We drew on existing data from four samples of traditionally-aged, first-year undergraduates enrolled at large universities in three provinces (Alberta N = 199; Québec N = 299; Ontario N = 461 and N = 510). Students completed online surveys assessing a wide range of health-related behaviours and indicators, including food security. Poorer mental health (depression, anxiety, stress, low satisfaction with life) was consistently associated with food insecurity across samples. The magnitude of mental health deficit was comparable to socioeconomic disadvantage associated with food insecurity. Students with food insecurity are disproportionately launching their university careers with poorer mental health, revealing a critical point of intervention for these socioeconomically higher-risk students.

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The Rise and Fall of Depressive Symptoms and Academic Stress in Two Samples of University Students

Cited by 101 publications

References 39 publications

A pragmatic clinical trial examining the impact of a resilience program on college student mental health

A pragmatic clinical trial examining the impact of a resilience program on college student mental health

Associations Between Social Capital and Depressive Symptoms Among College Students in 12 Countries: Results of a Cross-National Study

Mental health of students reporting food insecurity during the transition to university

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