Abstract
Psychological distress (PD) is highly prevalent among college students. However, not much is known about the role study programs can have in fostering or reducing PD. Two studies were conducted to assess the importance of study program climate in predicting students PD, in addition to that of teachers and peers. In Study 1 (N = 1855), we developed and confirmed the validity of a questionnaire assessing need supportive/thwarting practices emitted by college teachers, peers, and study programs using a bifactor approach. In Study 2 (N = 1797), we relied on this questionnaire to investigate the prediction of students’ PD. Our findings showed that, taken individually, global levels of need support/thwarting from each source appear to be more important predictors of students’ PD than need-specific subfactors. Taken concurrently, the importance of need support by teachers was marginal while need thwarting by peers and study programs had the strongest prediction of students’ PD. Overall, study program climate may be an important overlooked factor spiraling students’ PD.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data availability
The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
Notes
A definition of the different types of validity used in this article is available in the first section of the online supplementary material.
References
Ahn, I., Patrick, H., Chiu, M. M., & Levesque-Bristol, C. (2018). Measuring teacher practices that support student motivation: Examining the factor structure of the teacher as social context questionnaire using multilevel factor analyses. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 37(6), 743–756. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734282918791655
Alsubaie, M. M., Stain, H. J., Webster, L. A. D., & Wadman, R. (2019). The role of sources of social support on depression and quality of life for university students. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 24(4), 484–496. https://doi.org/10.1080/02673843.2019.1568887
Asparouhov, T., & Muthén, B. . (2010). Weighted least squares estimation with missing data. Mplus Technical Appendix, 1–10. Retrieved at http://www.statmodel.com/download/GstrucMissingRevision.pdf
Barker, E. T., Howard, A. L., Villemaire-Krajden, R., & Galambos, N. L. (2018). The rise and fall of depressive symptoms and academic stress in two samples of university students. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 47(6), 1252–1266. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-018-0822-9
Bartholomew, K. J., Ntoumanis, N., Ryan, R. M., Bosch, J. A., & Thogersen-Ntoumani, C. (2011). Self-determination theory and diminished functioning: the role of interpersonal control and psychological need thwarting. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 37(11), 1459–1473. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167211413125
Belmont, M., Skinner, E., Wellborn, J., & Connell, J. (1988). Teacher as a social context: A measure of student perceptions of teacher provision of involvement, structure, and autonomy support (Report No. 102). University of Rochester.
Bess, J., & Dee, J. (2008). Understanding College and University Organization: Dynamics of the System. (Vol. 2). Stylus Publishing, LLC.
Bovill, C., & Bulley, C. J. (2011). A model of active student participation in curriculum design: exploring desirability and possibility. In C. Rust (Ed.), Global Theories and Local Practices: Institutional, Disciplinary and Cultural Variations (pp. 176–188). Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development.
Bruffaerts, R., Mortier, P., Kiekens, G., Auerbach, R. P., Cuijpers, P., Demyttenaere, K., & Kessler, R. C. (2018). Mental health problems in college freshmen: Prevalence and academic functioning. Journal of Affective Disorders, 225, 97–103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2017.07.044
Carballeira, Y., Dumont, P., Borgacci, S., Rentsch, D., de Tonnac, N., Archinard, M., & Andreoli, A. (2007). Criterion validity of the French version of Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) in a hospital department of internal medicine. Psychology and Psychotherapy, 80(Pt 1), 69–77. https://doi.org/10.1348/147608306X103641
Chen, B., Vansteenkiste, M., Beyers, W., Boone, L., Deci, E. L., Van der Kaap-Deeder, J., & Verstuyf, J. (2014). Basic psychological need satisfaction, need frustration, and need strength across four cultures. Motivation and Emotion, 39(2), 216–236. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-014-9450-1
Chevrier, B., & Lannegrand, L. (2021). Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration Scale (BPNSFS): Validation de l’adaptation française auprès d’étudiants de première année. Psychologie Française. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psfr.2020.09.005
Collins, W. A., & Madsen, S. D. (2006). Personal Relationships in Adolescence and Early Adulthood. Cambridge University Press.
Cummings, C. M., Caporino, N. E., & Kendall, P. C. (2014). Comorbidity of anxiety and depression in children and adolescents: 20 years after. Psychological Bulletin, 140(3), 816. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0034733
Deci, E. L., Ryan, R. M., & Guay, F. (2013). Self-determinaton theory and actualization of human potential. In D. McInerney, R. Craven, H. Marsh, & F. Guay (Eds.), Theory driving research: New wave perspectives on self-processes and human development (pp. 109–133). Information Age Press.
Di Placito-De Rango, M. L. (2018). Situating the post-secondary instructor in a supportive role for the mental health and well-being of students. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 16(2), 284–290. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-017-9740-4
Drapeau, A., Marchand, A., & Beaulieu-Prévost, D. (2012). Epidemiology of psychological distress. In L. L’Abate (Ed.), Mental illnesses-understanding, prediction and control (pp. 105–134). IntechOpen.
Hu, L. T., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 6(1), 1–55. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705519909540118
Ibrahim, A. K., Kelly, S. J., Adams, C. E., & Glazebrook, C. (2013). A systematic review of studies of depression prevalence in university students. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 47(3), 391–400. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2012.11.015
Izadinia, N., Amiri, M., Ghorban Jahromi, R., & Hamidi, S. (2010). A study of relationship between suicidal ideas, depression, anxiety, resiliency, daily stresses and mental health among Tehran university students. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 5, 1615–1619. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.07.335
Jang, H., Kim, E. J., & Reeve, J. (2016). Why students become more engaged or more disengaged during the semester: A self-determination theory dual-process model. Learning and Instruction, 43, 27–38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2016.01.002
Kim, J. H., & Choi, I. (2021). Choosing the level of significance: A decision-theoretic approach. Abacus, 57(1), 27–71. https://doi.org/10.1111/abac.12172
Kroenke, K., Spitzer, R. L., & Williams, J. B. (2001). The PHQ-9: validity of a brief depression severity measure. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 16(9), 606–613. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1525-1497.2001.016009606.x
Leenknecht, M. J. M., Wijnia, L., Loyens, S. M. M., & Rikers, R. M. J. P. (2017). Need-supportive teaching in higher education: Configurations of autonomy support, structure, and involvement. Teaching and Teacher Education, 68, 134–142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2017.08.020
Lei, P. W., & Shiverdecker, L. K. (2020). Performance of estimators for confirmatory factor analysis of ordinal variables with missing data. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 27(4), 584–601. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705511.2019.1680292
Lepore, S. J. (1992). Social conflict, social support, and psychological distress: Evidence of cross-domain buffering effects. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 63(5), 857. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.63.5.857
Li, J., Han, X., Wang, W., Sun, G., & Cheng, Z. (2018). How social support influences university students’ academic achievement and emotional exhaustion: The mediating role of self-esteem. Learning and Individual Differences, 61, 120–126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2017.11.016
Maassen, G. H., & Bakker, A. B. (2001). Suppressor variables in path models: Definitions and interpretations. Sociological Methods & Research, 30(2), 241–270. https://doi.org/10.1177/0049124101030002004
Marsh, H. W., & Balla, J. (1994). Goodness of fit in confirmatory factor analysis: The effects of sample size and model parsimony. Quality and Quantity, 28(2), 185–217. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01102761
Marsh, H. W., Morin, A. J., Parker, P. D., & Kaur, G. (2014). Exploratory structural equation modelling: an integration of the best features of exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 10, 85–110. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-032813-153700
Maunder, R. E. (2018). Students’ peer relationships and their contribution to university adjustment: the need to belong in the university community. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 42(6), 756–768. https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2017.1311996
McDonald, R. P. (1970). The theoretical foundations of principal factor analysis, canonical factor analysis, and alpha factor analysis. British Journal of Mathematical and Statistical Psychology, 23(1), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8317.1970.tb00432.x
Micoulaud-Franchi, J. A., Lagarde, S., Barkate, G., Dufournet, B., Besancon, C., Trebuchon-Da Fonseca, A., & McGonigal, A. (2016). Rapid detection of generalized anxiety disorder and major depression in epilepsy: Validation of the GAD-7 as a complementary tool to the NDDI-E in a French sample. Epilepsy & Behavior, 57(Pt A), 211–216. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yebeh.2016.02.015
Mokgele, K. R. F., & Rothmann, S. (2014). A structural model of student well-being. South African Journal of Psychology, 44(4), 514–527. https://doi.org/10.1177/0081246314541589
Morin, A. J., Arens, A. K., & Marsh, H. W. (2016). A bifactor exploratory structural equation modeling framework for the identification of distinct sources of construct-relevant psychometric multidimensionality. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 23(1), 116–139. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705511.2014.961800
Morin, A. J. S., & Marsh, H. W. (2015). Disentangling shape from levels effects in person-centered analyses: An illustration based on university teacher multidimensional profiles of effectiveness. Structural Equation Modeling, 22(1), 39–59. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705511.2014.919825
Murray, A. L., & Johnson, W. (2013). The limitations of model fit in comparing the bi-factor versus higher-order models of human cognitive ability structure. Intelligence, 41, 407–422. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intell.2013.06.004
Muthén, L. K. and Muthén, B. O. (1998–2017). Mplus User’s Guide (8th ed.). Muthén & Muthén.
Nishimura, T., & Suzuki, T. (2016). Basic psychological need satisfaction and frustration in Japan: Controlling for the Big Five Personality Traits. Japanese Psychological Research, 58(4), 320–331. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpr.1213
Parkinson, T. J., Gilling, M., & Suddaby, G. T. (2006). Workload, study methods, and motivation of students within a BVSc program. Journal of Veterinary Medical Education, 33(2), 253–265. https://doi.org/10.3138/jvme.33.2.253
Perreira, T. A., Morin, A. J. S., Hebert, M., Gillet, N., Houle, S. A., & Berta, W. (2018). The short form of the Workplace Affective Commitment Multidimensional Questionnaire (WACMQ-S): A bifactor-ESEM approach among healthcare professionals. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 106, 62–83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2017.12.004
Ratelle, C. F., Simard, K., & Guay, F. (2013). University students’ subjective well-being: The role of autonomy support from parents, friends, and the romantic partner. Journal of Happiness Studies, 14(3), 893–910. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-012-9360-4
Ridner, S. H. (2004). Psychological distress: concept analysis. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 45(5), 536–545. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2648.2003.02938.x
Rocchi, M., Pelletier, L., Cheung, S., Baxter, D., & Beaudry, S. (2017). Assessing need-supportive and need-thwarting interpersonal behaviours: The Interpersonal Behaviours Questionnaire (IBQ). Personality and Individual Differences, 104, 423–433. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2016.08.034
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2017). Self-determination theory: Basic psychological needs in motivation, development, and wellness. Guilford Publications.
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2020). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation from a self-determination theory perspective: Definitions, theory, practices, and future directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 61, 101860. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2020.101860
Sandrin, E., & Gillet, N. (2016). Le workaholisme et l’engagement dans les études : des mécanismes explicatifs dans les relations entre la frustration des besoins psychologiques et le mal-être des étudiants. Pratiques Psychologiques, 22(4), 317–334. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prps.2016.02.003
Sansgiry, S. S., Bhosle, M., & Sail, K. (2006). Factors that affect academic performance among pharmacy students. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 70(5), 104–113. https://doi.org/10.5688/aj7005104
Scott, K. M., Lim, C., Al-Hamzawi, A., Alonso, J., Bruffaerts, R., & Caldas-de-Almeida, J. M. (2016). Association of mental disorders with subsequent chronic physical conditions: world mental health surveys from 17 countries. JAMA Psychiatr., 73, 150–158. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2015.2688
Scully, G., & Kerr, R. (2014). Student workload and assessment: Strategies to manage expectations and inform curriculum development. Accounting Education, 23(5), 443–466. https://doi.org/10.1080/09639284.2014.947094
Sharp, J., & Theiler, S. (2018). A review of psychological distress among university students: Pervasiveness, implications and potential points of intervention. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, 40(3), 193–212. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10447-018-9321-7
Sheldon, K. M., & Krieger, L. S. (2007). Understanding the negative effects of legal education on law students: a longitudinal test of self-determination theory. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 33(6), 883–897. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167207301014
Sierens, E., Vansteenkiste, M., Goossens, L., Soenens, B., & Dochy, F. (2009). The synergistic relationship of perceived autonomy support and structure in the prediction of self-regulated learning. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 79(1), 57–68. https://doi.org/10.1348/000709908X304398
Sijtsma, K. (2009a). On the use, the misuse, and the very limited usefulness of Cronbach’s alpha. Psychometrika, 74(1), 107–120. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11336-008-9101-0
Sijtsma, K. (2009b). Reliability beyond theory and into practice. Psychometrika, 74(1), 169–173. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11336-008-9103-y
Spitzer, R. L., Kroenke, K., Williams, J. B., & Löwe, B. (2006). A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder: the GAD-7. Archives of Internal Medicine, 166(10), 1092–1097. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.166.10.1092
Svetina, D., Rutkowski, L., & Rutkowski, D. (2019). Multiple-group invariance with categorical outcomes using updated guidelines: An illustration using Mplus and the Lavaan/semTools packages. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 27(1), 111–130. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705511.2019.1602776
Tóth-Király, I., Morin, A. J., Gillet, N., Bőthe, B., Nadon, L., Rigó, A., & Orosz, G. (2020). Refining the assessment of need supportive and need thwarting interpersonal behaviors using the bifactor exploratory structural equation modeling framework. Current Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-020-00828-8
Vansteenkiste, M., & Ryan, R. M. (2013). On psychological growth and vulnerability: Basic psychological need satisfaction and need frustration as a unifying principle. Journal of Psychotherapy Integration, 23(3), 263–280. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0032359
Vansteenkiste, M., Ryan, R. M., & Soenens, B. (2020). Basic psychological need theory: Advancements, critical themes, and future directions. Motivation and Emotion, 44(1), 1–31. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-019-09818-1
Williams, G. C., & Deci, E. L. (1996). Internalization of biopsychosocial values by medical students: A test of Self-determination theory. Personality Processes and Individual Differences, 70(4), 767–779. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.70.4.767
Funding
This study was made possible through funding from the Fonds de recherche du Québec—Société et culture to the first and second authors and from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada to the fourth author.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare that are relevant to the content of this article.
Ethical approval
The questionnaire and methodology for this study were approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee from the institution of the first author (ethics approval number: 2018–323 A-4/16–10-2019).
Consent to participate
Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.
Consent for publication
Participants provided informed consent for the data to be used for research purposes. Moreover, participation in this research project was completely anonymous.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Supplementary Information
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gilbert, W., Bureau, J.S., Poellhuber, B. et al. Predicting college students' psychological distress through basic psychological need-relevant practices by teachers, peers, and the academic program. Motiv Emot 45, 436–455 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-021-09892-4
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-021-09892-4