Graduate Students' Emotional Disorders and Associated Negative Life Events : A Cross-Sectional Study from Changsha, China

© 2020 Liu et al..

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to develop a scale to quantify the negative life events of graduate students; and to identify the associations between negative life events and emotional disorders among them.

METHODS: Based on a literature review, qualitative interviews and direct consultation with experts in relevant fields, the study served to identify the items that could be included in the Negative Life Events Scale for graduates (LES-GS). Psychometrics was used to analyze the items for reliability and validity. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Changsha, China to explore the association between negative life events and emotional disorders among master's and PhD students. LES-GS, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7 (GAD-7) were utilized in the survey.

RESULTS: The LES-GS exhibited acceptable reliability and validity. A total of 13.24% of master's and 16.60% of PhD students experienced moderate to severe depression symptoms. Additionally, a total of 9.04% of master's students and 15.47% of PhD students experienced moderate to severe anxiety symptoms. Among the master's students, five long-term events and one short-term event life events (these included "tension with family members"; "the graduation project is not going well"; "not interested in the major"; "poor relationship with partner or spouse", "long-term financial stress", and "dispute with the mentor") were associated with an increased likelihood of emotional disorders among them. Among the PhD students, "death of a close family member" and "the publication of academic papers fails to meet the graduation requirements" were associated with an increased likelihood of emotional disorders.

CONCLUSION: The LES-GS could be used to assess life events for graduate students. The treatment of emotional problems for the master's students and the doctorial students should be designed differently.

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2020

Erschienen:

2020

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:13

Enthalten in:

Risk management and healthcare policy - 13(2020) vom: 15., Seite 1391-1401

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Liu, Xiao-Kun [VerfasserIn]
Xiao, Shui-Yuan [VerfasserIn]
Luo, Dan [VerfasserIn]
Zhang, Jiang-Hua [VerfasserIn]
Qin, Lu-Lu [VerfasserIn]
Yin, Xun-Qiang [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

Anxiety
Depression
Emotional disorders
Graduate students
Journal Article
Negative life events

Anmerkungen:

Date Revised 16.04.2022

published: Electronic-eCollection

Citation Status PubMed-not-MEDLINE

doi:

10.2147/RMHP.S236011

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM315154381