Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Taylor’s 7th Teaching and Learning Conference 2014 Proceedings pp 109–125Cite as

Factors That Affect Students’ Mental Health: A Study at Taylor’s University School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts Final Year Students

  • Conference paper

Abstract

Undergraduates are often looked upon as the next building blocks in a country’s economic growth and development. It is felt that with the growing body of knowledge and hectic pace of technology, the undergraduate student’s academic workload and academic stress are increasing. This increase in workload and stress can affect the undergraduate student’s mental health. There are limited studies in Malaysia focusing on academic workload and academic stress on the mental well-being among final year students at Taylor’s University School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts. The aim of this study is to research the relationship between academic workload and student mental health, the relationship between academic stress and student mental health and the perceived level of academic stress. Questionnaires were distributed to 201 final year students at Taylor’s University School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts. This study could support the university to review the curriculum and adjust the academic workload in order to reduce academic stress among university students. The results of this study hope to assist university management and students to recognise the relationships between academic stress caused by academic workload and student’s mental health in the Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts courses. Furthermore, students would realise how academic workload and stress can affect their mental health and recognise symptoms such as poor eating habits, insomnia, depression and suicidal tendencies as consequences of academic stress and encourage them to seek help from mental health professionals.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  • Ang, R. P., & Huan, V. S. (2006). Relationship between academic stress and suicidal ideation: Testing for depression as a mediator using multiple regression. Child Psychiatry & Human Development, 37(2), 133–143.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barber, M. M. (2010). Summary of: Tobacco, alcohol and drug use among dental undergraduates at one English university in 1998 and 2008. British Dental Journal, 208(4), 164–165. doi:10.1038/Sj.Bdj.2010.182.

  • Bean, A. N., & Hammer, D. P. (2006, July 5). Perceived stress levels in university of Washington PharmD students. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American association of colleges of pharmacy, Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina, San Diego, California, USA. Retrieved from: http://Citation.Allacademic.Com/Meta/P119331_Index.Html

  • Berg, A., & Keinan, G. (1986). Sources of stress in academic. Higher Education, 15, 73–88.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bitsika, V., Sharpley, C., & Rubenstein, V. (2010). What stresses university students: An interview investigation of the demands of tertiary studies. Australian Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 20(1), 41–54. doi:10.1375/Ajgc.20.1.41.

  • Bowyer, K. (2012). A model of student workload. Journal of Higher Education Policy & Management, 34(3), 239–258. doi:10.1080/1360080x.2012.678729.

  • Brandimarte, P. (2011). Quantitative methods: An introduction for business management. Hoboken: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cerel, J., Bolin, M., & Moore, M. (2013). Suicide exposure, awareness and attitudes in college students. Advances in Mental Health, 12(1), 46–53. doi:10.5172/Jamh.2013.12.1.46.

  • Clift, J. C., & Thomas, I. D. (1983). Student workloads. Higher Education, 2, 447–460.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coughlin, S. S., & American Public Health, A. (2012). Post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic health conditions. Washington, DC: APHA Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fauber, R., Forehand, R., Long, N., Burke, M., & Faust, J. (1987). The relationship of young adolescent children’s depression inventory (Cdi) scores to their social and cognitive functioning. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 9(2), 161.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gadzella, B. M. (1994). Student- life stress inventory: Identification of and reactions to stressors. Psychological Reports, 74, 395–402.

    Google Scholar 

  • Garlow, S. J., Rosenberg, J., Moore, J. D., Haas, A. P., Koestner, B., Hendin, H., & Nemeroff, C. B. (2008). Depression, desperation, and suicidal ideation in college students: Results from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention College Screening Project at Emory University. Depression and Anxiety, 25(6), 482–488.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gan, W. Y., Mohd Taib, M. N., Mohd Shariff, Z., & Abu Saad, H. (2011). Disordered eating behaviors, depression, anxiety and stress among Malaysian University students. The College Student Journal, 45(2), 296–309.

    Google Scholar 

  • Giles, L. (2009). Effect of students’ perception of workload on the quality of learning in higher education. International Journal of Learning, 16(3), 399–408.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gupta, K., & Khan, B. (1987). Anxiety levels as factors in concept formation. Indian Journal of Psychological Report, 31, 187–192.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hicks, R. A., Fernandez, C., & Pellegrini, R. J. (2001). The changing sleep habits of university students: An update. Perceptual & Motor Skills, 93(3), 648. doi:10.2466/Pms. 93.7.648-648.

  • Hicks, R. A., Mistry, R., Lucero, K., Marical, C., & Pellegrini, R. J. (1990). Self-reported sleep durations of college students: Normative data for 1978–79 and 1988–89. Perceptual and Motor Skills.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hilton, S., & Phillips, F. (2010). Instructor-assigned and student-selected groups: A view from inside. Issues in Accounting Education, 25(1), 15–33. doi:10.2308/Iace.2010.25.1.15.

  • Ho Kong Wai, B., Hong, C., & Kua, E. H. (1999). Suicidal behavior among young people in Singapore. General Hospital Psychiatry, 21(2), 128–133.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ho, T., Tai, B., Lee, E., Cheng, S., & Liow, P. (2006). Prevalence and profile of females at risk of eating disorders in Singapore. Singapore Medical Journal, 47(6), 499–503.

    Google Scholar 

  • 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. doi:10.1016/J.Jpsychires.2012.11.015.

  • Jayakumar, G. S. D. S., & Sulthan, A. A. (2013). Stress symptoms: Structural equation modelling. SCMS Journal of Indian Management, 10(3), 95–109.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jennings, P., Forbes, D., Mcdermott, B., & Hulse, G. (2006). Acculturation and eating disorders in Asian and Caucasian Australian university students. Eating Behaviors, 7(3), 214–219.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jensen, D. R. (2003). Understanding sleep disorders in a college student population. Journal of College Counseling, 6(1), 25–34.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jonkman, M., De Boer, F. G., & Jagielski, J. (2006). Are we over-assessing our students?: The students’ view [online]. In Proceedings of the 17th annual conference of the Australasian Association for Engineering Education: Creativity, challenge, change; partnerships in engineering education (pp. 829–835). Auckland: Australasian Association for Engineering Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Juon, H., Nam, J., & Ensminger, M. E. (1994). Epidemiology of suicidal behavior among Korean adolescents. Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry & Allied Disciplines, 35(4), 663–676. doi:10.1111/1469-7610.Ep11540025.

  • Kadapatti, M. G., & Vijayalaxmi, A. M. (2012). Stressors of academic stress – A study on pre-university students. Indian Journal of Scientific Research, 3(1), 171–175.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kahlon, J. (1993). Aspect and symptom of academic stress in school children. Mhsc thesis Submitted to SNDT College Women’s University, Bombay.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaslow, N., Rehm, L., & Siegel, A. (1984). Social-cognitive and cognitive correlates of depression in children. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 12(4), 605–620.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kausar, R. (2010). Perceived stress, academic workloads and use of coping strategies by university students. Journal of Behavioural Sciences, 20(1), 31–45.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kember, D. (2004a). Interpreting student workload and the factors which shape students’ perceptions of their workload. Studies in Higher Education, 29(2), 165–184. doi:10.1080/0307507042000190778.

  • Kember, D. (2004b). Understanding how students perceive workload. Studies in Higher Education, 29, 165/184.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kessler, R. C., & Walters, E. E. (1998). Epidemiology of Dsm-Iii-R major depression and minor depression among adolescents and young adults in the national comorbidity survey. Depression & Anxiety (1091–4269), 7(1), 3–14.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kessler, R. C., Chiu, W., Demler, O., Merikangas, K., & Walters, E. (2005). Prevalence, severity, and comorbidity of 12-month Dsm-Iv disorders in the national comorbidity survey replication. Archives of General Psychiatry, 62(6), 617–627.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kim, D., Markham, F. S., & Cangelosi, J. D. (2002). Why students pursue the business degree: A comparison of business majors across universities. Journal of Education for Business, 78(1), 28–32.

    Google Scholar 

  • Khan, S., & Ayyub, K. (2013). To study the relationship of academic stress and socio-economic status among IX standard students of Raipur City. Journal of Educational Psychology, 7(1), 34–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Laws, T., & Fiedler, B. (2013). Students seeking help for mental health problems. Australian Universities Review, 55(2), 35–43.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, coping and adaptation. New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lindsay, E., & Rogers, H. (2010). The relationship between reported workload, stress and employment levels in first-year engineering students. Australasian Journal of Engineering Education, 16(2), 167–179.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mackenzie, S., Wiegel, J. R., Mundt, M., Brown, D., Saewyc, E., Heiligenstein, E., Harahan, B., & Fleming, M. (2011). Depression and suicide ideation among students accessing campus health care. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 81(1), 101–107.

    Google Scholar 

  • Madanat, H., Hawks, S., & Novilla, M. (2006). A comparison of disordered eating attitudes and behaviors among Filipino and American college students. Eating and Weight Disorders: Ewd, 11(3), 133–138.

    Google Scholar 

  • Makino, M. M., Hashizume, M. M., Yasushi, M. M., Tsuboi, K. K., & Dennerstein, L. L. (2006). Factors associated with abnormal eating attitudes among female college students in Japan. Archives of Women’s Mental Health, 9(4), 203–208. doi:10.1007/S00737-006-0128-X.

  • Marsh, H. W. (2001). Distinguishing between good (useful) and bad workloads on students’ evaluations of teaching. American Educational Research Journal, 38(1), 183–212.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin, W. E.,& Bridgmon, K. D. (2012). Quantitative and statistical research methods: From hypothesis to results. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martins, V., Ferreira, V., & Guilhem, D. (2013). Psychophysiological consequences arising from the stress of everyday life and work activities. Salud Mental, 36(2), 141–147.

    Google Scholar 

  • Melvin, L. (2014). Who am I? Pittsburgh: Dorrance Publishing Co., Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mottet, T. P., Parker-Raley, J., Cunningham, C., Beebe, S. A.,& Raffeld, P. C. (2006). Testing the neutralizing effect of instructor immediacy on student course workload expectancy violations and tolerance for instructor unavailability. Communication Education, 55(2), 147–166. doi:10.1080/03634520600565886.

  • Mowbray, C. T., Megivern, D., Mandiberg, J. M., Strauss, S., Stein, C. H., Collins, K., & Lett, R. (2006). Campus mental health services: Recommendations for change. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 76, 226–237.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nader, I. W., Pietschnig, J.,& Voracek, M. (2012). Academic workload, research productivity, and end of life: A single-case historiometric study. Psychological Reports, 110(3), 701–708. doi:10.2466/02.10.11.17.Pr0.110.3.701-708.

  • Naidoo, A. (1999). Black South African students’ use of counseling service. Psychological Reports, 84(1), 49.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Institute for Mental Health. (2010). The numbers count: Mental disorders in America. Retrieved April 5, 2014, from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/Health/Publications/The-Numbers-Count-Mental-Disorders-In-America/Index.Shtml#Bipolar

  • Ong, B., & Cheong, K. C. (2009). Sources of stress among college students – The case of a credit transfer program. College Student Journal, 43(4), 1279–1286.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peltzer, K., Pengpid, S., Olowu, S.,& Olasupo, M. (2013). Depression and associated factors among university students in Western Nigeria. Journal of Psychology in Africa, 23(3), 459–465.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pettit, M. L.,& Debarr, K. A. (2011). Perceived stress, energy drink consumption, and academic performance among college students. Journal of American College Health, 59(5), 335–341.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ranking Web of Universities. (2014). Universities in Malaysia. Retrieved from: http://www.4icu.Org/My/

  • Seaward, B. L. (2012). Managing stress: Principles and strategies for health and well-being (p. C2012). Burlington: Jones& Bartlett Learning.

    Google Scholar 

  • Silverman, M. M., Meyer, P. M., Sloane, F., Raffel, M.,& Pratt, D. M. (1997). The big ten student suicide study: A 10-year study on suicides on midwestern university campuses. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 27(3), 285–303.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sing, C. Y.,& Wong, W. S. (2010). Prevalence of insomnia and its psychosocial correlates among college students in Hong Kong. Journal of American College Health, 59(3), 174–182. doi:10.1080/07448481.2010.497829.

  • Sobowale, K., Zhou, A. N., Fan, J., Liu, N., & Sherer, R. (2014). Depression and suicidal ideation in medical students in China: A call for wellness curricula. International Journal of Medical Education, 5, 31–36. doi:10.5116/ijme.52e3.a465.

  • Sutton, A. L. (Ed.). (2011). Stress-related disorders sourcebook: Basic consumer health information about the causes and symptoms of mental health problems including depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders, addictions, and personality and schizophrenia disorders [electronic resource] (p. C2011). Detroit: Omnigraphics.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tendulkar, P., Krishnadas, R., Durge, V., Sharma, S., Nayak, S., Kamat, S.,& Dhavale, H. (2006). Study of eating attitudes and behaviors in junior college students in Mumbai, India. Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 18(2), 43–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Töero, K., Nagy, Á., Sawaguchi, T., Sawaguchi, A., & Sótonyi, P. (2001). Characteristics of suicide among children and adolescents in Budapest. Pediatrics International, 43(4), 368–371.

    Google Scholar 

  • Voelker, R. (2003). Mounting student depression taxing campus mental health services. Journal of the American Medical Association, 289(16), 2055–2056.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ware, J. E., Snow, K. K., Kosinski, M.,& Gandek, B. (1993). SF-36 health survey manual and interpretation guide. Boston: Health Institute, New England Medical Center.

    Google Scholar 

  • Westefeld, J. S., Homaifar, B., Spotts, J., Furr, S., Range, L., & Werth, J. L., Jr. (2005). Perceptions concerning college student suicide: Data from four universities. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 35(6), 640–645.

    Google Scholar 

  • Whitman, N. A., Association for the Study of Higher, E. N., Eric Clearinghouse on Higher Education, W. C.,& And, O. (1984). Student stress: Effects and solutions. Ashe-Eric Higher Education Research Report No. 2, 1984. 30–44.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zeidner, M. (1992). Sources of academic stress: The case of first year Jewish and Arab college students in Israel. Higher Education, 24(1), 25–40.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zikmund, W. G. (2003). Business research methods (7th ed., p. 296). Orlando: The Dryden Press, Harcourt Brace College Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zohoor, A. (2002). Factors of smoking and drugs in Shahid Bahonar university students of Kerman. Journal of Research in Medical Health, 3, 99–104.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts, Taylor’s University, Subang Jaya, Malaysia

    Shantini Thuraiselvam & Rui Bao Thang

Authors
  1. Shantini Thuraiselvam
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Rui Bao Thang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shantini Thuraiselvam .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Taylor's University, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

    Siew Fun Tang

  2. Taylor’s University, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

    Loshinikarasi Logonnathan

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2015 Springer Science+Business Media Singapore

About this paper

Cite this paper

Thuraiselvam, S., Thang, R.B. (2015). Factors That Affect Students’ Mental Health: A Study at Taylor’s University School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts Final Year Students. In: Tang, S., Logonnathan, L. (eds) Taylor’s 7th Teaching and Learning Conference 2014 Proceedings. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-399-6_10

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation