Not Just Surviving but Thriving: Predictors of Flourishing among College Students

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dc.contributor.advisorMcWhirter, Ellen
dc.contributor.authorCendejas, Christina
dc.date.accessioned2022-10-26T15:19:51Z
dc.date.available2022-10-26T15:19:51Z
dc.date.issued2022-10-26
dc.description.abstractCollege campuses are experiencing an increase in demands for mental health services among students (Lipson et al., 2019). Yet, emerging adults also report higher rates of well-being than older adults, complicating the understanding of college student mental health (Westerhof & Keyes, 2010). Flourishing is defined as a state of emotional, psychological, and social well-being and is considered to be on a separate continuum than mental illness (Agenor et al., 2017). Positive mental health is associated with a range of positive academic, health, and social outcomes for college students (Antaramian, 2015; Byrd & McKinney, 2012; Low, 2011). However, there is limited information regarding predictors of flourishing and the differential impact of flourishing on academic outcomes among college students. This study examined the level and prevalence of flourishing among student subgroups; proxy variables for the elements of flourishing as predictors of flourishing; and flourishing and mental illness symptoms as predictors of academic outcomes. Data from 769 students who participated in the Healthy Minds Study at a Pacific Northwest university and extant academic records were used in the analyses. A series of t-tests, analyses of variance, and chi-square tests of independence were used to explore associations between demographic indicators and flourishing. A regression model was used to determine the relationships between proxy elements and flourishing. Analyses of variance and regression models were used to examine the associations between mental illness symptoms, flourishing, and academic outcomes. Results indicated that heterosexual students and students with higher socioeconomic status reported higher levels of flourishing and were more likely to meet the cutoff for flourishing. Among proxy variables for the elements of flourishing, sense of belonging, extracurricular involvement, and academic self-efficacy were positive predictors while psychological inflexibility and perceived stress were negative predictors of flourishing. Furthermore, term GPA did not vary based on mental health categorization nor flourishing and mental illness symptoms. However, students who were categorized as mentally unhealthy had the lowest levels of academic self-efficacy, and flourishing predicted academic self-efficacy above and beyond symptoms of anxiety and depression. Results demonstrate the need to foster mental health among college students to support successful academic outcomes.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1794/27722
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.publisherUniversity of Oregon
dc.rightsAll Rights Reserved.
dc.subjectcollege student mental healthen_US
dc.subjectflourishingen_US
dc.subjectHealthy Minds Studyen_US
dc.subjectpositive psychologyen_US
dc.subjectwell-beingen_US
dc.titleNot Just Surviving but Thriving: Predictors of Flourishing among College Students
dc.typeElectronic Thesis or Dissertation
thesis.degree.disciplineDepartment of Counseling Psychology and Human Services
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Oregon
thesis.degree.leveldoctoral
thesis.degree.namePh.D.

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