Download Free Strengthening Mindfulness And Social Support As Psychosocial Skills Improving First Year Students Adjustment Into College Book in PDF and EPUB Free Download. You can read online Strengthening Mindfulness And Social Support As Psychosocial Skills Improving First Year Students Adjustment Into College and write the review.

Extensive research exists regarding the challenges and risk of negative outcomes first-year students face while transitioning into college. Given that psychosocial factors predict adaptive coping and adjustment in the presence of transition stressors, this study examined the efficacy of mindfulness and social support trainings in fostering psychosocial skills and adjustment among college freshmen. Fifty Western Washington University first-year students (75.7% white, 13.5% Hispanic or Latinx, 12.2% Asian, 4.1% Black, 1.4% Native American or Alaska Native, and 9.5% multiracial) participated. Students were randomly assigned to one of the two trainings and were measured pre- and post- training on psychosocial skills (mindfulness, social support, emotion regulation) and indicators of adjustment (psychological distress, perceived stress). Neither training group showed significant changes regarding psychosocial skills, psychological distress, or perceived stress. These null findings showcase important considerations when designing trainings to improve psychosocial skills in hopes of promoting positive adjustment for first-year college students.
College Student Psychological Adjustment provides the reader an in-depth understanding of students’ relationship experiences in college and how those experiences shape their adjustment to college. Each chapter examines research on one key relationship in a student’s life to better understand how those relationships are re-worked during the college years and what factors help determine adaptive relational outcomes. Along the way, a number of controversial topics are considered from a scholarly perspective, including the effects of helicopter parenting on students’ development in college, the prevalence and problematic nature of the hook-up culture on college campuses today, and policies related to whether students should be randomly assigned to live with their first-year roommates or be allowed to choose their roommates, based on a matching system. Aimed at advanced students and scholars in the fields of psychology, human development, and higher education, readers of this book will gain a fresh perspective on the relationship development of college students and possible avenues for intervention to help students enhance their relationships skills and prevent development of mental health difficulties.
The transition to college reflects a period of a great flux and novelty in all areas of the young persons life. In Western societies, many young people are expected to find their niche through college education or further vocational training and grow into healthy, independent, and contributing individuals. As a rite of passage, entering college is associated with separation from family and friends, transition to become independent and self-regulating, and integration into a new social and academic environment. Thus, college is characterized by both increased freedoms as well as heightened need to cope with new challenges in all areas of life. Unfortunately, there are numerous data sources that indicate that being a college student is stressful and the recent rise in mental health problems has been characterized as a crisis. When the normative developmental instability characteristic of emerging adulthood is paired with inadequate coping it provides a high-risk context for a wide range of negative consequences from poor adjustment to college, academic failure, substance abuse, to severe psychopathologies and disorders.The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the developmental and socioemotional factors impacting transition and adjustment to college and the potential of contemplative practices to enhance first year college students health and wellbeing during this time period. First, I theoretically analyzed the stress and coping processes during transition to college and proposed a conceptual model of how mindfulness and compassion skills may strengthen college students coping processes before, during, and after a challenging encounter. Second, I presented the post-test outcomes of a randomized controlled trial that aimed to evaluate the Learning to BREATHE (L2B) mindfulness-based intervention in a convenience sample of 109 first year college students. The pre-post results showed that, compared to the control group, students in the intervention reported a significant decrease in depression and anxiety symptoms and increase in life satisfaction. Furthermore, we found a marginally significant decrease in sleep issues and alcohol consequences. Third, I evaluated the 3-month follow-up data of the L2B intervention and examined hypothesized factors that might mediate the outcomes. The findings showed that the assignment to the mindfulness intervention was predictive of a decrease in distress and an increase in life satisfaction at the 3-month follow-up. Furthermore, the increase in reported mindfulness states mediated the outcome of distress, but not life satisfaction. The greater use of mindfulness practices mediated both distress and life satisfaction outcomes at follow-up. I concluded that mindfulness-based practices may positively impact both prevention of students mental health issues and promotion of their socioemotional competencies.Given the current issues with worldwide instabilities, 21st century education needs to be multifaceted, providing youth with the necessary cognitive and socioemotional skills to face the increasingly more complex and fast-paced world. For young adults to become engaged citizens of our global society, essential aspects of their education need to include the development of inner clarity, compassion, and self-awareness. Mindfulness and compassion practices and skills may offer a developmental resource for handling both daily hassles as well as major transitions and life events through the combined effect of paying attention, regulating thoughts and emotions, and utilizing effective coping tools. Creation of mindful and compassionate communities may be the next step in the broader contemplative agenda that will allow young people to practice inner clarity, socioemotional competencies, and the desire to work together for the greater wellbeing of all. I look forward to that hopeful future.
"This practical resource offers a much-needed introduction to the why, what, and how of supporting college students through mindfulness and stress-releasing strategies. Higher education professionals are in a unique position to support, coach, and teach strategies with students to manage anxiety, emotional distress, and improve well-being. Drawing on experience from the disciplines of Mental Health, Counseling, and Student Affairs, the authors provide evidence-based practices and tangible techniques supported by the latest brain-based research and neuroscience. Full of tools that college students can use daily to assist with their relaxation meditation, focus, and stress management, this book helps higher education professionals who are not trained mental health practitioners to effectively and confidently incorporate activities to support the whole student"--
Student wellbeing is foundational to academic success. One recent survey of postsecondary educators found that nearly 80 percent believed emotional wellbeing is a "very" or "extremely" important factor in student success. Studies have found the dropout rates for students with a diagnosed mental health problem range from 43 percent to as high as 86 percent. While dealing with stress is a normal part of life, for some students, stress can adversely affect their physical, emotional, and psychological health, particularly given that adolescence and early adulthood are when most mental illnesses are first manifested. In addition to students who may develop mental health challenges during their time in postsecondary education, many students arrive on campus with a mental health problem or having experienced significant trauma in their lives, which can also negatively affect physical, emotional, and psychological wellbeing. The nation's institutions of higher education are seeing increasing levels of mental illness, substance use and other forms of emotional distress among their students. Some of the problematic trends have been ongoing for decades. Some have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic consequences. Some are the result of long-festering systemic racism in almost every sphere of American life that are becoming more widely acknowledged throughout society and must, at last, be addressed. Mental Health, Substance Use, and Wellbeing in Higher Education lays out a variety of possible strategies and approaches to meet increasing demand for mental health and substance use services, based on the available evidence on the nature of the issues and what works in various situations. The recommendations of this report will support the delivery of mental health and wellness services by the nation's institutions of higher education.
Healthy mental, emotional, and behavioral (MEB) development is a critical foundation for a productive adulthood. Much is known about strategies to support families and communities in strengthening the MEB development of children and youth, by promoting healthy development and also by preventing and mitigating disorder, so that young people reach adulthood ready to thrive and contribute to society. Over the last decade, a growing body of research has significantly strengthened understanding of healthy MEB development and the factors that influence it, as well as how it can be fostered. Yet, the United States has not taken full advantage of this growing knowledge base. Ten years later, the nation still is not effectively mitigating risks for poor MEB health outcomes; these risks remain prevalent, and available data show no significant reductions in their prevalence. Fostering Healthy Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Development in Children and Youth: A National Agenda examines the gap between current research and achievable national goals for the next ten years. This report identifies the complexities of childhood influences and highlights the need for a tailored approach when implementing new policies and practices. This report provides a framework for a cohesive, multidisciplinary national approach to improving MEB health.
The Caring Motivation is a pioneering attempt to bring the diverse research on caring together and to examine caring as a motivation from a broad perspective that relies on these very diverse literatures. Author Ofra Mayseless underscores that we as a species have an innate, biologically driven and evolutionarily chosen, yet contextually sensitive, general motivation to care, tend, empower, and nurture.
Physical inactivity is a key determinant of health across the lifespan. A lack of activity increases the risk of heart disease, colon and breast cancer, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, osteoporosis, anxiety and depression and others diseases. Emerging literature has suggested that in terms of mortality, the global population health burden of physical inactivity approaches that of cigarette smoking. The prevalence and substantial disease risk associated with physical inactivity has been described as a pandemic. The prevalence, health impact, and evidence of changeability all have resulted in calls for action to increase physical activity across the lifespan. In response to the need to find ways to make physical activity a health priority for youth, the Institute of Medicine's Committee on Physical Activity and Physical Education in the School Environment was formed. Its purpose was to review the current status of physical activity and physical education in the school environment, including before, during, and after school, and examine the influences of physical activity and physical education on the short and long term physical, cognitive and brain, and psychosocial health and development of children and adolescents. Educating the Student Body makes recommendations about approaches for strengthening and improving programs and policies for physical activity and physical education in the school environment. This report lays out a set of guiding principles to guide its work on these tasks. These included: recognizing the benefits of instilling life-long physical activity habits in children; the value of using systems thinking in improving physical activity and physical education in the school environment; the recognition of current disparities in opportunities and the need to achieve equity in physical activity and physical education; the importance of considering all types of school environments; the need to take into consideration the diversity of students as recommendations are developed. This report will be of interest to local and national policymakers, school officials, teachers, and the education community, researchers, professional organizations, and parents interested in physical activity, physical education, and health for school-aged children and adolescents.