1. Hardiness and Psychological Well-Being in College Students
Nicole Moshfegh
University of California, Irvine
Salvatore R. Maddi, PhD

2. General Background
Nationally, nearly half of all college students report feeling so depressed at some point in time that they have trouble functioning
Counseling centers nationwide report increasing numbers of students seeking services

3. Across the UC System
Data from 8 UC campuses (including UCI) found that the number of students utilizing campus counseling centers has increased twenty-three percent in the last five years

4. UCI Counseling Services
A survey of over 3000 UCI students in 2006 found
More than two-thirds had experienced a mental health issue during their time at UCI
One-third either used or referred someone to a campus mental health resource
The most common self-reported issue was stress

5. Purpose of the Study
To examine the factors that contribute to college students perceptions of well-being
To determine the impact of hardiness on
perceived educational barriers,
cultural fit, and
overall psychological well-being 5

6. Research Questions
R1: Are there differences for each of the studies variables by class standing, race/ethnicity, acculturation/ethnic identity level, immigration status/generation, and socioeconomic status?
R2: What influence do the perceived educational barriers, cultural fit, and hardiness values have on the psychological well-being of undergraduate students?
R3: What are the interrelationships amongst the studies variables? 6

7. Common Stressors coping with family problems lack of transportation
balancing workload and class schedules with fulltime work and other responsibilities
peer pressure
relationship problems
difficulty managing time
sleep deprivation
racism
financial problems
greater academic demands
needing to fit in with peers
greater awareness of one’s sexual identity and orientation
concerns about graduating and obtaining a job

8. Populations at Risk
Certain populations are at greater risk for developing mental health issues due to feelings of alienation from general campus populations. These groups may include:
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) populations
racially and ethnically underrepresented students

9. Minority Student Enrollment
As of 2003, students of color made up 27.8 percent of the nearly 17 million students in American colleges and universities, up from 21.8 percent in 1993
As of 2007, 74% of total undergraduates enrolled at UCI were identified as non-White ethnicities
2007 UCI Undergraduate Student Ethnicity

10. Barriers Affecting Minority Population
Educational barriers
lack of finances
lower familial support
fewer mentors
cultural stereotypes
inhospitable campus climates
sense of cultural misfit

11. University Environment
Studies of the university environment found racial and ethnic minority students perceive:
Racial tension
Hostility
Feelings of marginalization
Feeling unwelcomed

12. Cultural Congruity
Balancing home and family values with the university environment often pushes minority students to assimilate to institutional values
The conflict between personal/cultural values and those of the university environment adds to the stress of this population

13. Well-Being
Well-being or positive functioning must be examined in undergraduates to determine the effects of stressors
Well-being has commonly been associated with
self-acceptance
positive relations with others
autonomy
environmental mastery
purpose in life
personal growth

14. Role of Hardiness
Hardiness has been shown in research to enhance performance and health, despite stressful changes
HardiAttitudes
Commitment
Control
Challenge
Copyright , The Hardiness Institute, Inc.

15. Survey Scales Content Items Demographic sheet
Age, gender, ethnicity, income, etc. 30
Personal Views Survey, Third Edition
Measures commitment, control, challenge aspects of hardiness 18
Perception of Barriers Scale
Assess student perceptions of barriers to educational and career goals 24
University Environment/ Cultural Congruity Scale
Assess student perceptions & cultural fit within university environment 27
Psychological Well-Being–Short Scale
Measures six theoretical constructs that address different dimensions of well-being or positive functioning

16. Demographics Ethnicity of Sample Status Value Male 13% Female 87%
Upperclassmen
53%
Lowerclassmen
47%
First generation
60%
Family income above $70,000
48%
Mean income
$50-59,000
2.5% 4%
15.5%
6.5%
0.5%
11%
52%

17. Results Stepwise Regression Correlations One-way ANOVA by
Class standing
Differences for
PWB
Ethnicity
HRD
Generation
UES
SES
Stepwise Regression
39% of the variance
Step 1: HRD
Step 2: UES
Step 3: POB
Correlations
Hardiness correlated with
UES
PWB
PWB correlated with
UES correlated with
POB

18. Correlations Significance of all correlations less than P < .01
Perceived well-being is positively correlated with hardiness
University environment and cultural congruity are positively correlated with hardiness
Perceived well-being is positively correlated with university environment and cultural congruity
Significance of all correlations less than P < .05:
Perceived barriers to education is positively correlated with University environment and cultural congruity 18

19. Implications
Hardiness is the strongest predictor of psychological well-being (34%)
Having a Hardy attitude
Increases feelings of cultural congruity in the university
Lessens the perception of barriers toward educational and career goals
Increases well-being

20. Practical Implications
Findings will provide insight for university centers to better address mental health issues when working with racial ethnic minority undergraduates.
Results may assist clinicians in understanding undergraduates’ emotions, social systems, and cultural continuity as they relate to mental health.
Findings may provide justification to implement hardiness training as a requirement for college students in order to reduce mental health risks in this population

21. Limitations & Future Research
Study was subjective
Study only measured perceived barriers and stressors
Follow up study to include additional questions pertaining to objective stressors in order to greater predict validity of results
Conduct study with more individuals of differing ethnic backgrounds

22. Acknowledgments Salvatore R. Maddi, Ph.D. Valerie Jenness, Ph.D.
Hardiness Lab
Said Shokair
Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program
Social Ecology Honors Program Members
THANK YOU!!!