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Health Behaviors and Mental Health Among College Students

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Behavioral and Mental Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 27 February 2026 | Viewed by 356

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Psychology, University of Turin, 10124 Turin, Italy
Interests: clinical psychology; psychoanalytic psychology; contaminated sites; psychotherapeutic interventions for college students; mental health in university students: Risk and protective factors; psychological effects of environmental and occupational asbestos exposure; affect regulation and mental functioning in patients with oncologic and psychosomatic diseases; psychotherapeutic interventions for cancer patients and their caregivers

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Guest Editor
Department of Psychology, University of Turin, 10124 Turin, Italy
Interests: evaluation of psychosocial risks; work-related stress, wellbeing and quality of working life; healthcare and educational sectors, health promotion intervention

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, there has been increasing international interest in health behaviors, especially risk behaviors, i.e., behaviors that not only affect a person in the present, but whose effects are also felt in later periods. Risk behaviors and mental health appear to be particularly relevant in young adults, as they are associated with long-term psychophysical diseases and mortality. For example, research suggests a link between inappropriate dietary behaviors and mental and physical health, as well as between the use of various substances during college and morbidity, mortality and an increased risk of developing psychosis. Moreover, the transitional nature of this period, which coincides with the developmental tasks of emerging adulthood, may also imply that academic life is a stressful experience. Studies have emphasized that the academic student population is at higher risk of psychological distress when compared to the general population. College students appear to have high levels of mental health problems (i.e., high risk of suicide, anxiety and depression), which can lead to low physical activity and sleep problems, academic underachievement and dropout. Therefore, this Special Issue aims to examine mental health and wellbeing in relation to health risk behaviors and quality of academic life of college students. In addition, an explicit focus on the public health perspective and the effectiveness of interventions aimed at promoting health and wellbeing in university contexts using a multidisciplinary approach would also be welcome.

Dr. Isabella Giulia Franzoi
Dr. Gloria Guidetti
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • college students
  • mental health
  • health behaviors
  • risk
  • unhealthy behaviors
  • intervention
  • promotion
  • prevention

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

31 pages, 7669 KiB  
Article
Voices in Motion: Using I-Poems to Uncover Undergraduate University Students’ Psychosocial Journey and Physical Activity Behaviours
by Chanté Johannes, James Reid and Nicolette Roman
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2025, 22(6), 901; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22060901 - 5 Jun 2025
Viewed by 160
Abstract
Physical inactivity is a pervasive global public health concern, yet there is limited qualitative research exploring the psychosocial dimensions of physical activity (PA) among undergraduate students at a South African university. Therefore, this study aimed to explore students’ PA participation, by providing insights [...] Read more.
Physical inactivity is a pervasive global public health concern, yet there is limited qualitative research exploring the psychosocial dimensions of physical activity (PA) among undergraduate students at a South African university. Therefore, this study aimed to explore students’ PA participation, by providing insights into the psychosocial factors that shape their experiences. Interviews were conducted with 18 undergraduate university students between July and August 2023. I-poems, a creative qualitative method, were created from interview transcripts by isolating sentences featuring the pronoun “I” and arranging them into poetic stanzas without altering their sequence. This approach amplifies the participants’ voices, offering an authentic window into their lived experiences. Data was coded using the Atlas Ti v.8 software and thematically analysed to generate common themes. The I-poems revealed rich, layered insights from students regarding the psychosocial aspects of PA, highlighting themes such as mental health, motivation and social support. By centring the participants’ “I” narratives, the method foregrounded their voices, enabling a deeper exploration of their embodied PA experiences. This study highlights the potential of I-poems as a creative qualitative method to explore the intricacies of students’ PA journeys. The findings highlight the importance of considering psychosocial factors in understanding PA engagement, offering valuable subjective perspectives for designing contextually relevant and university student-tailored interventions that are suitable. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health Behaviors and Mental Health Among College Students)
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