Hardiness and Hardiness and Psychological Well-Psychological Well-

Being in College Being in College StudentsStudents

Nicole MoshfeghNicole MoshfeghUniversity of California, IrvineUniversity of California, Irvine

Salvatore R. Maddi, PhDSalvatore R. Maddi, PhD

General BackgroundGeneral Background

• Nationally, nearly half of all college students report feeling so depressed at some point in time that they have trouble functioning

• Counseling centers nationwide report increasing numbers of students seeking services

Across the UC SystemAcross the UC System

• Data from 8 UC campuses (including UCI) found that the number of students utilizing campus counseling centers has increased twenty-three percent in the last five years

UCI Counseling ServicesUCI Counseling Services

• A survey of over 3000 UCI students in 2006 found– More than two-thirds had experienced a

mental health issue during their time at UCI– One-third either used or referred someone to

a campus mental health resource– The most common self-reported issue was

stress

Purpose of the Study Purpose of the Study

1. To examine the factors that contribute to college students perceptions of well-being

2. To determine the impact of hardiness on

– perceived educational barriers, – cultural fit, and – overall psychological well-being

Research Questions Research Questions

• R1: Are there differences for each of the studies variables by class standing, race/ethnicity, acculturation/ethnic identity level, immigration status/generation, and socioeconomic status?

• R2: What influence do the perceived educational barriers, cultural fit, and hardiness values have on the psychological well-being of undergraduate students?

• R3: What are the interrelationships amongst the studies variables?

Common Stressors Common Stressors

• coping with family problems

• lack of transportation • balancing workload and

class schedules with fulltime work and other responsibilities

• peer pressure • relationship problems • difficulty managing time • sleep deprivation

• racism• financial problems • greater academic

demands• needing to fit in with

peers• greater awareness of

one’s sexual identity and orientation

• concerns about graduating and obtaining a job

Populations at RiskPopulations at Risk

• Certain populations are at greater risk for developing mental health issues due to feelings of alienation from general campus populations. These groups may include:– Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT)

populations– racially and ethnically underrepresented

students

Minority Student Minority Student EnrollmentEnrollment

• As of 2003, students of color made up 27.8 percent of the nearly 17 million students in American colleges and universities, up from 21.8 percent in 1993

• As of 2007, 74% of total undergraduates enrolled at UCI were identified as non-White ethnicities

50

29

3 0.44

25.7

7.5 1.990

20

40

60

Asian Black Chicano Latino Native White Other Foreign

% Total

2007 UCI Undergraduate Student Ethnicity

Barriers Affecting Minority Barriers Affecting Minority PopulationPopulation

• Educational barriers – lack of finances– lower familial support – fewer mentors– cultural stereotypes – inhospitable campus climates– sense of cultural misfit

University EnvironmentUniversity Environment

• Studies of the university environment found racial and ethnic minority students perceive:– Racial tension– Hostility– Feelings of marginalization – Feeling unwelcomed

Cultural CongruityCultural Congruity

• Balancing home and family values with the university environment often pushes minority students to assimilate to institutional values

• The conflict between personal/cultural values and those of the university environment adds to the stress of this population

Well-BeingWell-Being

• Well-being or positive functioning must be examined in undergraduates to determine the effects of stressors

• Well-being has commonly been associated with– self-acceptance– positive relations with others – autonomy– environmental mastery – purpose in life– personal growth

Role of HardinessRole of Hardiness

• Hardiness has been shown in research to enhance performance and health, despite stressful changes – HardiAttitudes

• Commitment• Control• Challenge

Copyright 1999-2007, The Hardiness Institute, Inc.

SurveySurvey

ScalesScales ContentContent ItemsItems

Demographic sheet Demographic sheet Age, gender, ethnicity, income, etc. 30

Personal Views Survey, Personal Views Survey, Third EditionThird Edition

Measures commitment, control, challenge aspects of hardiness

18

Perception of Barriers Perception of Barriers ScaleScale

Assess student perceptions of barriers to educational and career goals

24

University Environment/ University Environment/ Cultural Congruity ScaleCultural Congruity Scale

Assess student perceptions & cultural fit within university environment

27

Psychological Well-Being–Psychological Well-Being–Short ScaleShort Scale

Measures six theoretical constructs that address different dimensions of well-being or positive functioning

18

DemographicsDemographics

Status Value

Male 13%

Female 87%

Upperclassmen 53%

Lowerclassmen 47%

First generation 60%

Family income above $70,000

48%

Mean income $50-59,000

Ethnicity of Sample

52%

11%

15.5%6.5%

4%2.5%

0.5%

ResultsResultsOne-way ANOVA by• Class standing

– Differences for• PWB

• Ethnicity– Differences for

• PWB• HRD

• Generation– Differences for

• UES• PWB• HRD

• SES– Differences for

• PWB• HRD

Stepwise Regression– 39% of the variance

• Step 1: HRD

• Step 2: UES

• Step 3: POB

Correlations• Hardiness correlated with

– UES

– PWB

• PWB correlated with

– UES

• UES correlated with

– POB

Correlations Correlations

• Significance of all correlations less than P < .01– Perceived well-being is

positively correlated with hardiness

– University environment and cultural congruity are positively correlated with hardiness

– Perceived well-being is positively correlated with university environment and cultural congruity

• Significance of all correlations less than P < .05:– Perceived barriers to

education is positively correlated with University environment and cultural congruity

ImplicationsImplications

• Hardiness is the strongest predictor of psychological well-being (34%)

• Having a Hardy attitude– Increases feelings of

cultural congruity in the university

– Lessens the perception of barriers toward educational and career goals

– Increases well-being

Hardiness

Well-Being

Cultural Congruity

Perceived Barriers

Practical ImplicationsPractical Implications

– Findings will provide insight for university centers to better address mental health issues when working with racial ethnic minority undergraduates.

– Results may assist clinicians in understanding undergraduates’ emotions, social systems, and cultural continuity as they relate to mental health.

– Findings may provide justification to implement hardiness training as a requirement for college students in order to reduce mental health risks in this population

Limitations & Future ResearchLimitations & Future Research

• Study was subjective

• Study only measured perceived barriers and stressors – Follow up study to include additional

questions pertaining to objective stressors in order to greater predict validity of results

• Conduct study with more individuals of differing ethnic backgrounds

AcknowledgmentsAcknowledgments

• Salvatore R. Maddi, Ph.D.• Valerie Jenness, Ph.D.• Hardiness Lab• Said Shokair• Undergraduate Research Opportunities

Program• Social Ecology Honors Program Members

THANK YOU!!!