Food security on the college campus [Scholarly article - JAFSCD, January 2022]

Title:

Food insecurity on the college campus

 

Author:

Mark Lapping

University of Southern Maine

Published:

Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development (JAFSCD),  19 January 2022

https://www.foodsystemsjournal.org/index.php/fsj/article/view/1045

Abstract:

It is often said that one’s college years are “the best years of your life.” For a growing number of students facing food insecurity, these years may be anything but. These two very different books provide useful counterpoints on campus food inse­curity, a growing phenomenon only made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic. Henry’s volume uses an ethnographic approach of interviewing over 90 students who use the food pantry at her university, the University of North Texas, Denton. Broton and Cady focus on essays and case studies of what a number of institutions are doing to address the issue of campus food insecurity. Together they provide both a balanced treatment of the subject and some remarkably interesting insights and strategies that other college communities can utilize. . . .

Experienced workload, stress, and coping among professional students in higher music education: An explanatory mixed methods study in Finland and the United Kingdom [Scholarly Article - Psychology of Music, 2022]

Title:

Experienced workload, stress, and coping among professional students in higher music education: An explanatory mixed methods study in Finland and the United Kingdom

 

Authors:

Tuula Jääskeläinen, Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki, Finland

Guadalupe López-Íñiguez, Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki, Finland

& 

Kai Lehikoinen, Center for Educational Research and Academic Development in the Arts, University of the Arts Helsinki, Finland

 

Published:

Psychology of Music, 14 February 2022

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/03057356211070325

 

Abstract:

Proactive coping styles may help students deal with their study workload and stress in healthier ways. In this explanatory mixed methods study, data were gathered among professional students in higher music education in Finland and the United Kingdom about their experiences of workload, stress, and proactive coping. Bivariate analyses were used to explore prevalence of study workload, stress, and seven proactive coping styles among genders, levels of degree, genre groups, and study programs, and investigate whether stress is predicted by study workload and proactive coping styles. Music students’ lived experiences were analyzed to find the determinants of their workload, stress, and coping. Results indicate significant differences between genders and study programs and specific concerns for music students, such as working alongside studying and physical and psychological problems. Higher music education institutions can utilize this evidence to better support music students in their studies and professional careers.

 

An Islamic Form of Logotherapy in the Treatment of Depression, Anxiety and Stress Symptoms in University Students in Iran [Scholarly Article - Journal of Religion and Health, January 2022]

Title:

An Islamic Form of Logotherapy in the Treatment of Depression, Anxiety and Stress Symptoms in University Students in Iran 

 

Authors:

Shapour Fereydouni & Simon Forstmeier  

 

Published:

Journal of Religion and Health, 11 January 2022

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10943-021-01495-0

 

Abstract:

Previous research demonstrated that spiritually sensitive psychotherapy is an effective treatment for clients with depression or anxiety, with outcomes equivalent to secular control interventions. The goal of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of spiritually sensitive logotherapy intervention in the treatment of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms in university students in Iran. Sixty students with elevated depression symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory II, BDI-II, 22 or greater) were randomly assigned to either a twelve-session group logotherapy programme or a control group. Results showed that spiritually sensitive logotherapy significantly reduced depression, anxiety, and stress, and significantly more so than in the control group (e.g. interaction effect for BDI-II: F = 56.8, p < 0.001, with a large effect size).

 

Effects of COVID-19 on College Students’ Mental Health in the United States: Interview Survey Study [Scholarly Article - Journal of Medical Internet Research, 2020]

Title:

Effects of COVID-19 on College Students’ Mental Health in the United States: Interview Survey Study

 

Authors:

Changwon Son, Sudeep Hegde, Alec Smith, Xiaomei Wang & Farzan Sasangohar

 

Published:

Journal of Medical Internet Research (J Med Internet Res), 22(9):e21279 (2020)

https://www.jmir.org/2020/9/e21279/

Abstract:

Background: Student mental health in higher education has been an increasing concern. The COVID-19 pandemic situation has brought this vulnerable population into renewed focus.  

 

Objective: Our study aims to conduct a timely assessment of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of college students.  

 

Methods: We conducted interview surveys with 195 students at a large public university in the United States to understand the effects of the pandemic on their mental health and well-being. The data were analyzed through quantitative and qualitative methods.  

 

Results: Of the 195 students, 138 (71%) indicated increased stress and anxiety due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Multiple stressors were identified that contributed to the increased levels of stress, anxiety, and depressive thoughts among students. These included fear and worry about their own health and of their loved ones (177/195, 91% reported negative impacts of the pandemic), difficulty in concentrating (173/195, 89%), disruptions to sleeping patterns (168/195, 86%), decreased social interactions due to physical distancing (167/195, 86%), and increased concerns on academic performance (159/195, 82%). To cope with stress and anxiety, participants have sought support from others and helped themselves by adopting either negative or positive coping mechanisms.  

 

Conclusions: Due to the long-lasting pandemic situation and onerous measures such as lockdown and stay-at-home orders, the COVID-19 pandemic brings negative impacts on higher education. The findings of our study highlight the urgent need to develop interventions and preventive strategies to address the mental health of college students.

bioRxiv, 19 October 2020 (preprint) - Facial expressions of emotional stress in horses

Title:

Facial expressions of emotional stress in horses

 

Authors:

Johan Lundblad, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

Maheen Rashid, University of California, Davis

Marie Rhodin, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences & 

Pia Haubro Andersen, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

 

Published:

bioRxiv, 19 October 2020

[Keep in mind that this article is a preprint and not yet peer reviewed.]

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.10.19.345231v1

 

Abstract:

Horses have the ability to generate a remarkable repertoire of facial expressions, some which have been linked to certain emotional states, for example pain. Studies suggest that facial expressions may be a more ‘honest’ expression of emotional state in horses than behavioral or physiological parameters. This study sought to describe the facial expressions during stress of healthy horses free of pain, using a standardized method of recording facial expressions in video. Stress was induced in 28 horses by subjecting them to road transport and 10 of these horses were also subjected to social isolation. The horses served as their own control. A body-mounted, remote controlled heart rate monitor provided continuous heart rate measurements during the interventions. The horses’ facial expressions were video-recorded during the interventions. Frequency and duration of each facial expression were then determined, according to the Equine Facial Action Coding System. Heart rate increased during the stressful interventions (p=0.01), confirming that the interventions were stressful. Using both the human investigation- and the co-occurrence methods, the following facial traits could be observed during stress: eye white increase (p<0.001), nostril dilator (p<0.001), upper eyelid raiser (p<0.001), inner brow raiser (p=0.042), tongue show (p<0.001) along with an increase in ‘ear flicker’ (p<0.001) and blink frequency (p<0.001). The facial actions were successfully used to train a machine-learning classifier to discriminate between stressed and calm horses, with an accuracy of 74.2 %. Most of the facial features identified correspond well with previous research on the subject, for example flared nostrils, repetitive mouth behaviors, increased eye white, tongue show and ear movements. Some features selected as indicative of emotional pain-free stress are used in face-based pain assessment tools, such as dilated nostrils, eye white increase or inner brow raiser. The relation between facial expressions of stress and pain should therefore further be studied.

Stanford University, USA - Stress disrupts our ability to plan ahead

Title:
Stress disrupts our ability to plan ahead

Author:
Taylor Kubota

Published:
Medical Xpress, 3 April 2020

From the article:
"New research from Stanford University has found that stress can hinder our ability to develop informed plans by preventing us from being able to make decisions based on memory."

To read this article:
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-stress-disrupts-ability.html