Mental Health, Support System, and Perceived Usefulness of Support in University Students in Hong Kong Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed-Method Survey
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Study Design and Participants
2.2. Procedures
2.2.1. Collection of Quantitative Data
2.2.2. Collection of Qualitative Data
2.3. Measurements
2.3.1. Exposure Measures
2.3.2. Outcome Measures
2.3.3. Covariates
2.3.4. Other Measures
2.4. Data Analysis
2.4.1. Statistical Analysis
2.4.2. Qualitative Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Participants
3.2. Mental Health, Demographics and Academic Programme Characteristics
3.3. Resiliences
3.4. Family Functioning
3.5. Support from Family and Peers
“For instance, as my family members and I stayed at home longer, more family fictions arose, which made my mood fluctuate and affected my study”.(Participant 11, female, 23 years old, Bachelor programme, major in Medicine)
“If I were sitting around and doing nothing at home, they (my parents) would wonder why I just sat there and didn’t study and considered me wasting time. They didn’t understand the mode of study in university”.(Participant 12, Female, Bachelor programme, Major in Chinese)
“I turned on zoom with my peers when doing my homework and chit chat. I enjoyed the time with my classmates, which was better than staying home alone”.(Participant 11, female, 23 years old, Bachelor programme, major in Medicine)
3.6. Support from Universities
“I think the opening hours of the facilities can be longer. For instance, learning centres and libraries can be opened 24 hours a day”.(Participant 16, male, 20 years old, Bachelor programme, major in History)
“A friend of mine can’t access WIFI at home, and I saw him taking the exam on a bench at the public area on the university campus. School should provide more facilities to them”.(Participant 1, female, 22 years old, Bachelor programme, major in Engineering)
“I think our university can provide more clear instruction on the course arrangement and guidelines on examination. The unclear instruction made me feel stressed”.(Participant 1, female, 22 years old, Bachelor programme, major in Engineering)
“It was difficult to follow when using a longer video for learning and revising”.(Participant 16, male, 20 years old, Bachelor programme, major in History)
“I felt a bit helpless and loss, especially I was a new student. I did have any face-to-face or phone communication with teachers. Everything was connected by emails and was robotics”.(Participant 16, male, 20 years old, Bachelor programme, major in History)
3.7. Preferred Sources of Support and Ways of Communication
3.8. Perceived Usefulness of University Support
“… (I) was quite stressful. (I) studied in year two at that time. All classes had been cancelled, and we didn’t hear any arrangements from the faculty. I remembered that the faculty informed us that the examination would be held in July at the beginning. Still, suddenly, they announced changing the examination to June and May”.(Participant 19, Female, 21 years old, Bachelor programme, major in Medicine)
“How to attend the (online) lectures, modes of lessons, the schedule of classes. The arrangement was confusing… updated guidelines and information can help me better prepare and relieve my stress and anxiety”.(Participant 22, Male, 29 years old, Master’s programme, major in Environmental science)
“There were many assignments to submit within the same week. It was stressful”.(Participant 3, Male, 18 years old, Bachelor programme, major in Engineering)
“I had read more academic papers this year than what I have done in the past two years”.(Participant 19, Female, 21 years old, Bachelor programme, major in Medicine)
“I can have more time to attend various virtual conferences and webinars and learnt more from different experts. I enjoyed this good opportunity”.(Participant 21, Female, Major in Environmental Science)
“If I feel not happy, I preferred to talk with my friends and seldom made a call to hotline because I think it would not help much”.(Participant 19, Female, 21 years old, Bachelor programme, major in Medicine)
“Joining extracurricular activities might help to stress from the study. However, most of the activities and field trips were discontinued because of the outbreak”.(Participant 21, Female, Major in Environmental Science)
“I have no confidence in the hotline services. From my friends’ experience, the suggestion from hotline services was too general. Besides, it took time for university to response to her issues”.(Participant 1, female, 22 years old, Bachelor programme, major in Engineering)
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
- Wang, S.; Zhang, Y.; Guan, Y.; Ding, W.; Meng, Y.; Hu, H.; Liu, Z.; Zeng, X.; Wang, M. A nationwide evaluation of the prevalence of and risk factors associated with anxiety, depression and insomnia symptoms during the return-to-work period of coronavirus disease 2019 in China. Soc. Psychiatry Psychiatr. Epidemiol. 2021, 56, 2275–2286. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Kat, J.M. Depression, Anxiety, Loneliness Are Peaking in College Students: The Brink; 2021. Available online: https://www.bu.edu/articles/2021/depression-anxiety-loneliness-are-peaking-in-college-students/ (accessed on 12 May 2022).
- Elmer, T.; Mepham, K.; Stadtfeld, C. Students under lockdown: Comparisons of students’ social networks and mental health before and during the COVID-19 crisis in Switzerland. PLoS ONE 2020, 15, e0236337. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Wathelet, M.; Duhem, S.; Vaiva, G.; Baubet, T.; Habran, E.; Veerapa, E.; Debien, C.; Molenda, S.; Horn, M.; Grandgenèvre, P.; et al. Factors associated with mental health disorders among university students in France confined during the COVID-19 pandemic. JAMA Netw. Open 2020, 3, e2025591. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Lai, A.Y.K.; Lee, L.; Wang, M.P.; Feng, Y.; Lai, T.T.K.; Ho, L.M.; Lam, V.S.F.; Ip, M.S.M.; Lam, T.H. Mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on international university students, related stressors, and coping strategies. Front. Psychiatry 2020, 11, 584240. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Leong, B.; Abdullah, M.F.I.; Mansor, N.S.; Mohamad, M.A.; Teoh, S.H. Quality of life and associated factors among university students during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study. BMJ Open 2021, 11, e048446. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Sun, Y.; Lin, S.Y.; Chung, K.K.H. University students’ perceived peer support and experienced depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic: The mediating role of emotional well-being. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 9308. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Ozbay, F.; Johnson, D.C.; Dimoulas, E.; Morgan III, C.A.; Charney, D.; Southwick, S. Social support and resilience to stress. Psychiatry 2007, 4, 35–40. [Google Scholar]
- Alsubaie, M.M.; Stain, H.J.; Webster, L.A.D.; Wadman, R. The role of sources of social support on depression and quality of life for university students. Int. J. Adolesc. Youth 2019, 24, 484–496. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Hefner, J.; Eisenberg, D. Social support and mental health among college students. Am. J. Orthopsychiatry 2009, 79, 491–499. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Qi, M.; Zhou, S.J.; Guo, Z.C.; Zhang, L.G.; Min, H.J.; Li, X.M.; Chen, J.X. The effect of social support on mental health in Chinese adolescents during the outbreak of COVID-19. J. Adolesc. Health 2020, 67, 514–518. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Zhang, M.; Zhang, J.; Zhang, F.; Zhang, L.; Feng, D. Prevalence of psychological distress and the effects of resilience and perceived social support among Chinese college students: Does gender make a difference? Psychiatry Res. 2018, 267, 409–413. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Masten, A.S.; Motti-Stefanidi, F. Multisystem resilience for children and youth in disaster: Reflections in the context of COVID-19. Advers. Resil. Sci. 2020, 1, 95–106. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Liu, J.J.; Reed, M.; Girard, T.A. Advancing resilience: An integrative, multi-system model of resilience. Personal. Individ. Differ. 2017, 111, 111–118. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Masten, A.S.; Lucke, C.M.; Nelson, K.M.; Stallworthy, I.C. Resilience in development and psychopathology: Multisystem perspectives. Annu. Rev. Clin. Psychol. 2021, 17, 521–549. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Wu, Y.; Yu, W.; Wu, X.; Wan, H.; Wang, Y.; Lu, G. Psychological resilience and positive coping styles among Chinese undergraduate students: A cross-sectional study. BMC Psychol. 2020, 8, 1–11. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Hartley, M.T. Examining the relationships between resilience, mental health, and academic persistence in undergraduate college students. J. Am. Coll. Health 2011, 59, 596–604. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Samani, S.; Jokar, B.; Sahragard, N. Effects of resilience on mental health and life satisfaction. Iran. J. Psychiatry Clin. Psychol. 2007, 13, 290–295. [Google Scholar]
- Ye, Z.; Yang, X.; Zeng, C.; Wang, Y.; Shen, Z.; Li, X.; Lin, D. Resilience, social support, and coping as mediators between COVID-19-related stressful experiences and acute stress disorder among college students in China. Appl. Psychol. Health Well-Being 2020, 12, 1074–1094. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Chen, P.; Harris, K.M. Association of positive family relationships with mental health trajectories from adolescence to midlife. JAMA Pediatrics 2019, 173, e193336. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Lazarus, R.S.; Folkman, S. Stress, Appraisal, and Coping; Springer: New York, NY, USA, 1984. [Google Scholar]
- Francisco, R.; Loios, S.; Pedro, M. Family functioning and adolescent psychological maladjustment: The mediating role of coping strategies. Child Psychiatry Hum. Dev. 2016, 47, 759–770. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Freed, R.D.; Rubenstein, L.M.; Daryanani, I.; Olino, T.M.; Alloy, L.B. The relationship between family functioning and adolescent depressive symptoms: The role of emotional clarity. J. Youth Adolesc. 2016, 45, 505–519. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed] [Green Version]
- Johnson, V.K.; Gans, S.E.; Kerr, S.; LaValle, W. Managing the transition to college: Family functioning, emotion coping, and adjustment in emerging adulthood. J. Coll. Stud. Dev. 2010, 51, 607–621. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Shek, D.T. The role of positive youth development and family functioning in Chinese adolescent well-being: Theoretical considerations and empirical evidence. In A Life Devoted to Quality of Life; Springer: New York, NY, USA, 2016; pp. 43–58. [Google Scholar]
- Byrd, D.R.; McKinney, K.J. Individual, interpersonal, and institutional level factors associated with the mental health of college students. J. Am. Coll. Health 2012, 60, 185–193. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Cage, E.; Stock, M.; Sharpington, A.; Pitman, E.; Batchelor, R. Barriers to accessing support for mental health issues at university. Stud. High. Educ. 2020, 45, 1637–1649. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Oldfield, J.; Stevenson, A.; Ortiz, E.; Haley, B. Promoting or suppressing resilience to mental health outcomes in at risk young people: The role of parental and peer attachment and school connectedness. J. Adolesc. 2018, 64, 13–22. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Visser, M.; Wyk, E.L.V. University students’ mental health and emotional wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing lockdown. South Afr. J. Psychol. 2021, 51, 229–243. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Babicka-Wirkus, A.; Wirkus, L.; Stasiak, K.; Kozłowski, P. University students’ strategies of coping with stress during the coronavirus pandemic: Data from Poland. PLoS ONE 2021, 16, e0255041. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Owolabi, J.O. Virtualising the school during COVID-19 and beyond in Africa: Infrastructure, pedagogy, resources, assessment, quality assurance, student support system, technology, culture and best practices. Adv. Med. Educ. Pract. 2020, 11, 755. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Skoglund, A.; Batt-Rawden, K.B.; Schröder, A.; Moen, O.L. Perception of Student Life as Promoting Mental Health and Well-Being: A Study of First-Year Students in a Norwegian University. Int. J. Ment. Health Promot. 2021, 23, 487–497. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Center for Health Protection. Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) in HK: Statistics on Cases Tested Positive for SARS-CoV-2 Virus 2022. Available online: https://chp-dashboard.geodata.gov.hk/covid-19/en.html (accessed on 12 June 2022).
- Kirchherr, J.; Charles, K. Enhancing the sample diversity of snowball samples: Recommendations from research project on anti-dam movementsin Southest Asia. PLoS ONE 2018, 13, e0201710. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Leighton, K.; Kardong-Edgren, S.; Schneidereith, T.; Foisy-Doll, C. Using Social Media and Snowball Sampling as an Alternative Recruitment Strategy for Research. Clin. Simul. Nurs. 2021, 55, 37–42. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Zhang, X.; Mo, Y.; Yan, C.; Li, Y.; Li, H. Psychometric properties of two abbreviated Connor–Davidson Resilience scales in Chinese infertile couples. Qual. Life Res. 2021, 30, 2405–2414. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Mansfield, A.K.; Keitner, G.I.; Sheeran, T. The brief assessment of family functioning scale (BAFFS): A three-item version of the general functioning scale of the family assessment device. Psychother. Res. 2019, 29, 824–831. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Bowling, A. Just one question: If one question works, why ask several? J. Epidemiol. Community Health 2005, 59, 342–345. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- De Boer, A.; van Lanschot, J.; Stalmeier, P.; van Sandick, J.; Hulscher, J.; de Haes, J.; Sprangers, M.A.G. Is a single-item visual analogue scale as valid, reliable and responsive as multi-item scales in measuring quality of life? Qual. Life Res. 2004, 13, 311–320. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Fayers, P.M.; Hand, D.J. Causal variables, indicator variables and measurement scales: An example from quality of life. J. R. Stat. Soc. 2002, 165, 1–21. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Kroenke, K.; Spitzer, R.L.; Williams, J.; Löwe, B. An ultra-brief screening scale for anxiety and depression: The PHQ-4. Psychosomatics 2009, 50, 613–621. [Google Scholar]
- Mazza, C.; Ricci, E.; Biondi, S.; Colasanti, M.; Ferracuti, S.; Napoli, C.; Roma, P. A nationwide survey of psychological distress among Italian people during the COVID-19 pandemic: Immediate psychological responses and associated factors. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 3165. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Wang, H.; Xia, Q.; Xiong, Z.; Li, Z.; Xiang, W.; Yuan, Y.; Liu, Y.; Li, Z. The psychological distress and coping styles in the early stages of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic in the general mainland Chinese population: A web-based survey. PLoS ONE 2020, 15, e0233410. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Ahmed, M.Z.; Ahmed, O.; Aibao, Z.; Hanbin, S.; Siyu, L.; Ahmad, A. Epidemic of COVID-19 in China and associated psychological problems. Asian J. Psychiatry 2020, 51, 102092. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Huang, Y.; Zhao, N. Generalized anxiety disorder, depressive symptoms and sleep quality during COVID-19 outbreak in China: A web-based cross-sectional survey. Psychiatry Res. 2020, 288, 112954. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Olagoke, A.A.; Olagoke, O.O.; Hughes, A.M. Exposure to coronavirus news on mainstream media: The role of risk perceptions and depression. Br. J. Health Psychol. 2020, 25, 865–874. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Wang, C.; Pan, R.; Wan, X.; Tan, Y.; Xu, L.; Ho, C.S.; Ho, R.C. Immediate psychological responses and associated factors during the initial stage of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic among the general population in China. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 1729. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Morse, J.M.; Field, P.A. Nursing research: The Application of Qualitative Approaches; Nelson Thornes: Cheltenham, UK, 1995. [Google Scholar]
- Carter, N.; Bryant-Lukosius, D.; DiCenso, A.; Blythe, J.; Neville, A.J. The use of triangulation in qualitative research. Oncol. Nurs. Forum 2014, 41, 545–547. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Pun, J.; Yu, Q.J.; Sicuan, T.K.; Macaraeg, M.A.G.; Cia, J.M.P. An exploratory study of Cantonese learning strategies amongst non-Chinese English-speaking ethnic minority university students in Hong Kong. Front. Psychol. 2022, 13, 910603. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Lai, A.Y.K.; Sit, S.M.M.; Lai, T.T.K.; Wang, M.P.; Kong, C.H.M.; Cheuk, J.Y.Y.; Feng, Y.; Ip, M.S.M.; Lam, T.H. Facemask wearing among Chinese International students from Hong Kong studying in United Kingdom universities during COVID-19: A mixed method study. Front. Psychiatry 2021, 12, 673531. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Jia, Q.; Qu, Y.; Sun, H.; Huo, H.; Yin, H.; You, D. Mental health among medical students during COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Front. Psychol. 2022, 13, 846789. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Chirikov, I.; Soria, K.M.; Horgos, B.; Jones-White, D. Undergraduate and graduate students’ mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Available online: https://hdl.handle.net/11299/215271 (accessed on 7 August 2022).
- Eisenberg, D.; Hunt, J.; Speer, N. Mental health in american colleges and universities: Variation across student subgroups and across campus. J. Nerv. Ment. Dis. 2013, 201, 60–67. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Wang, X.; Hegde, S.; Son, C.; Keller, B.; Smith, A.; Sasangohar, F. Investigating mental health of US college students during the COVID-19 pandemic: Cross-sectional survey study. J. Med. Internet Res. 2020, 22, e22817. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Shao, R.; He, P.; Ling, B.; Tan, L.; Xu, L.; Hou, Y.; Kong, L.; Yang, Y. Prevalence of depression and anxiety and correlations between depression, anxiety, family functioning, social support and coping styles among Chinese medical students. BMC Psychol. 2020, 8, 1–19. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Berryhill, M.B.; Harless, C.; Kean, P. College student cohesive-flexible family functioning and mental health: Examining gender differences and the mediation effects of positive family communication and self-compassion. Fam. J. 2018, 26, 422–432. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Lorenzo-Blanco, E.I.; Meca, A.; Unger, J.B.; Romero, A.; Gonzales-Backen, M.; Piña-Watson, B.; Cano, M.A.; Zamboanga, B.L.; Rosiers, S.E.D.; Soto, D.W.; et al. Latino parent acculturation stress: Longitudinal effects on family functioning and youth emotional and behavioral health. J. Fam. Psychol. 2016, 30, 966. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Sit, S.M.M.; Ng, E.; Ho, H.P.Y.; Wong, P.C.Y.; Wang, M.P.; Ho, S.Y.; Lam, T.H.; Lai, A.Y.K. An exploratory trial of brief mindfulness-based Zentangle art workshops in family social services during COVID-19: Transitioning from offline to online. Intern. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19, 10926. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Sax, L.J.; Gilmartin, S.K.; Bryant, A.N. Assessing response rates and nonresponse bias in web and paper surveys. Res. High. Educ. 2003, 44, 409–432. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Jackson, L.A.; Ervin, K.S.; Gardner, P.D.; Schmitt, N. Gender and the Internet: Women communicating and men searching. Sex Roles 2001, 44, 363–379. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
Demographic Characteristics | n (%) | |
Sex | Male | 311 (27.7) |
Age | 18–24 years old | 906 (80.8) |
25–29 years old | 142 (12.7) | |
30 years or older | 73 (6.5) | |
Ethnicity | Chinese | 1027 (91.6) |
Other Asian | 67 (6.0) | |
Non-Asian | 27 (2.4) | |
Country or region of residence | Hong Kong | 971 (86.6) |
Mainland China | 113 (10.1) | |
United States of America | 1 (0.1) | |
Canada | 1 (0.1) | |
Others | 35 (3.1) | |
Academic Programme Characteristics | n (%) | |
Mode of study | Full-time | 975 (87.0) |
Part-time | 146 (13.0) | |
Education programme level | Bachelor’s degree | 860 (76.7) |
Master’s degree | 197 (17.6) | |
Doctoral Degree | 53 (4.7) | |
Programme Year | First-year | 345 (30.8) |
Non-first ad non-final year | 510 (45.5) | |
Final year | 266 (23.7) | |
Field of study | Medical or health-related | 485 (43.3) |
Others | 636 (56.7) | |
Programme with A Practicum Component | Yes | 555 (49.5) |
No | 566 (50.5) | |
Scores of Mental Health, Resilience, Family Functioning and Support System | Mean ± SD | |
Anxiety symptom (GAD-2) 1 | 2.6 ± 1.5 | |
Depression symptom (PHQ-2) 2 | 2.1 ± 1.5 | |
Resilience (CD-RISC-2) 3 | 4.5 ± 1.5 | |
Family functioning (BAFFS) 4 | 6.1 ± 1.8 | |
Support from family | 6.7 ± 2.6 | |
Support from peers | 6.3 ± 2.4 | |
Support from universities | 4.4 ± 2.5 | |
Level of Mental Health, Resilience, Family Functioning and Support System | n (%) | |
Anxiety symptoms (GAD-2) 1 | Yes (3–6) | 442 (39.4) |
Depression symptoms (PHQ-2) 2 | Yes (3–6) | 365 (32.6) |
Resilience (CD-RISC-2) 3 | High (5–8) | 539 (48.1) |
Family functioning (BAFFS) 4 | Distress (7–12) | 388 (34.6) |
Support from family 5 | High (6–10) | 792 (70.7) |
Support from peers 5 | High (6–10) | 747 (66.6) |
Support from Universities 5 | High (6–10) | 362 (32.3) |
Anxiety Symptoms | Depression Symptoms | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Did Not Have Anxiety Symptoms | Had Anxiety Symptoms | OR, 95 % C.I. a | p | They Did Not Have Depression Symptoms | Had Depression Symptoms | OR, 95 % taC.I. a | p | |
n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | |||||
Sex | ||||||||
Male | 194 (62.4) | 117 (37.6) | 0.90 (0.69, 1.18) | 0.44 | 206 (66.2) | 105 (33.8) | 1.08 (0.82, 1.42) | 0.59 |
Female | 485 (59.9) | 325 (40.1) | 550 (67.9) | 260 (32.1) | ||||
Age | ||||||||
18–24 years old | 547 (60.4) | 359 (39.6) | 1.04 (0.77, 1.42) | 0.78 | 603 (66.6) | 303 (33.4) | 1.24 (0.90, 1.72) | 0.20 |
25 years old or above | 132 (61.4) | 83 (38.6) | 153 (71.2) | 62 (28.8) | ||||
Ethnicity | ||||||||
Chinese | 636 (61.9) | 391 (38.1) | 0.52 (0.34, 0.79) | 0.002 ** | 699 (68.1) | 328 (31.9) | 0.72 (0.47, 1.12) | 0.14 |
Others | 43 (45.7) | 51 (54.3) | 57 (60.6) | 37 (39.4) | ||||
Country or region of residence | ||||||||
Hong Kong | 593 (61.1) | 378 (38.9) | 0.86 (0.60, 1.21) | 0.38 | 660 (68.0) | 311 (32.0) | 0.84 (0.58, 1.20) | 0.33 |
Others | 86 (57.3) | 64 (42.7) | 96 (64.0) | 54 (36.0) | ||||
Mode of study | ||||||||
Full-time | 588 (60.3) | 387 (39.7) | 1.09 (0.76, 1.56) | 0.64 | 649 (66.6) | 326 (33.4) | 1.38 (0.93, 2.04) | 0.11 |
Part-time | 91 (62.3) | 55 (37.7) | 107 (73.3) | 39 (26.7) | ||||
Education programme level | ||||||||
Undergraduate | 512 (59.5) | 348 (40.5) | 1.21 (0.91, 1.61) | 0.20 | 565 (65.7) | 295 (34.3) | 1.42 (1.05, 1.94) | 0.02 * |
Postgraduate | 167 (64.0) | 94 (36.0) | 191 (73.2) | 70 (26.8) | ||||
Programme Year—First year | ||||||||
Yes | 200 (58.0) | 145 (42.0) | 1.17 (0.90, 1.51) | 0.24 | 228 (66.1) | 117 (33.9) | 1.09 (0.83, 1.43) | 0.52 |
No | 479 (61.7) | 297 (38.3) | 528 (68.0) | 248 (32.0) | ||||
Programme Year—Final year | ||||||||
Yes | 169 (63.5) | 97 (36.5) | 0.85 (0.64, 1.13) | 0.26 | 184 (69.2) | 82 (30.8) | 0.90 (0.67, 1.21) | 0.49 |
No | 510 (59.6) | 345 (40.4) | 572 (66.9) | 283 (33.1) | ||||
Field of study | ||||||||
Medical or health-related | 323 (66.6) | 162 (33.4) | 0.64 (0.50, 0.81) | <0.001 *** | 335 (69.1) | 150 (30.9) | 0.88 (0.68, 1.13) | 0.31 |
Others | 356 (56.0) | 280 (44.0) | 421 (66.2) | 215 (33.8) | ||||
Programme with a practicum component | ||||||||
Yes | 345 (62.2) | 210 (37.8) | 0.88 (0.69, 1.11) | 0.28 | 379 (68.3) | 176 (31.7) | 0.93 (0.72, 1.19) | 0.55 |
No | 334 (59.0) | 232 (41.0) | 377 (66.6) | 189 (33.4) |
Anxiety Symptoms 1 | Depression Symptoms 2 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Normal | Had Anxiety Symptoms | Normal | Had Depression Symptoms | |||
n = 679 | n = 442 | n = 756 | n = 365 | |||
n (%) | n (%) | Adjusted OR (95% CI) a, b | n (%) | n (%) | Adjusted OR (95% CI) a, b | |
Resilience (CD-RISC-2) 3 | ||||||
Low (0–4) (Reference) | 292 (50.2) | 290 (49.8) | 324 (55.7) | 258 (44.3) | ||
High (5–8) | 387 (71.8) | 152 (28.2) | 0.39 (0.30, 0.50) *** | 432 (80.1) | 107 (19.9) | 0.31 (0.23, 0.40) *** |
Family functioning (BAFFS) 4 | ||||||
Satisfaction (3–6) (Reference) | 481 (65.6) | 252 (34.4) | 537 (73.3) | 196 (26.7) | ||
Distress (7–12) | 198 (51.0) | 190 (49.0) | 1.90 (1.47, 2.45) *** | 219 (56.4) | 169 (43.6) | 2.15 (1.65, 2.79) *** |
Support from family 5 | ||||||
Low (0–5) (Reference) | 181 (55.0) | 148 (45.0) | 201 (61.1) | 128 (38.9) | ||
High (6–10) | 498 (62.9) | 294 (37.1) | 0.67 (0.52, 0.88) ** | 555 (70.1) | 237 (29.9) | 0.66 (0.51, 0.87) ** |
Support from peers 5 | ||||||
Low (0–5) (Reference) | 195 (52.1) | 179 (47.9) | 227 (60.7) | 147 (39.3) | ||
High (6–10) | 484 (64.8) | 263 (35.2) | 0.58 (0.45, 0.75) *** | 529 (70.8) | 218 (29.2) | 0.63 (0.49, 0.82) *** |
Support from universities 5 | ||||||
Low (0–5) (Reference) | 445 (58.6) | 314 (41.4) | 487 (64.2) | 272 (35.8) | ||
High (6–10) | 234 (64.6) | 128 (35.4) | 0.77 (0.59, 1.0) * | 269 (74.3) | 93 (25.7) | 0.62 (0.47, 0.83) *** |
Resilience 1 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
R a | p | Adjusted r b | p | |
Family functioning 2 | −0.15 | <0.001 *** | −0.15 | <0.001 *** |
Support from family 3 | 0.20 | <0.001 *** | 0.21 | <0.001 *** |
Support from peers 3 | 0.16 | <0.001 *** | 0.17 | <0.001 *** |
Support from universities 3 | 0.19 | <0.001 *** | 0.19 | <0.001 *** |
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. |
© 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Share and Cite
Lai, A.Y.K.; Cheung, G.O.C.; Choi, A.C.M.; Wang, M.-P.; Chan, P.S.L.; Lam, A.H.Y.; Lo, E.W.S.; Lin, C.-C.; Lam, T.-H. Mental Health, Support System, and Perceived Usefulness of Support in University Students in Hong Kong Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed-Method Survey. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19, 12931. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912931
Lai AYK, Cheung GOC, Choi ACM, Wang M-P, Chan PSL, Lam AHY, Lo EWS, Lin C-C, Lam T-H. Mental Health, Support System, and Perceived Usefulness of Support in University Students in Hong Kong Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed-Method Survey. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2022; 19(19):12931. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912931
Chicago/Turabian StyleLai, Agnes Y. K., George O. C. Cheung, Asa C. M. Choi, Man-Ping Wang, Polly S. L. Chan, Angie H. Y. Lam, Esther W. S. Lo, Chia-Chin Lin, and Tai-Hing Lam. 2022. "Mental Health, Support System, and Perceived Usefulness of Support in University Students in Hong Kong Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed-Method Survey" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19, no. 19: 12931. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912931
APA StyleLai, A. Y. K., Cheung, G. O. C., Choi, A. C. M., Wang, M.-P., Chan, P. S. L., Lam, A. H. Y., Lo, E. W. S., Lin, C.-C., & Lam, T.-H. (2022). Mental Health, Support System, and Perceived Usefulness of Support in University Students in Hong Kong Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed-Method Survey. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(19), 12931. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912931