The Relationship Between Psychological Well-Being and Successfully Transitioning to University

Psychological well-being is a crucial asset when adjusting through new stages of life such as when transitioning from high school to university. This study profiles the psychological wellbeing of the first year students at King`s College University, and investigated the association between psychological well-being and success transitioning to university. A total of 235 students (Mage=19.5) enrolled in first year psychology and sociology courses completed the 54 item version of the Ryff Scale of Psychological well-being and the First Year Student Survey. There was a weak, positive and significant correlation between psychological well-being and student`s perception of their success transitioning to university based on 17 different measures. No statistically significant difference in psychological well being was found between males and females, nor between those who self-identified as having a mental health disorder and those who did not. This association indicates that those who score higher in psychological well-being typically tend to rate themselves as having more success transitioning to university. FIRST YEAR STUDENTS AT KING’S UNIVERSITY 3 First Year Students at King’s University College and Their Psychological Well-Being In order to overcome challenges and effectively navigate through life, psychological well-being is a very important resource (Ryff, Keyes & Hughes, 2003). The skills and perspectives that make up psychological well-being are paramount for engaging successfully in relationships with others, navigating through one’s environment, and self-actualization (Ryff, 1989). Psychological well-being is positively correlated with measures of physical health (Ryff et. al., 2006). Psychological well-being is therefore important for individuals at any age, including for students making the transition to university (Bowman, 2010). The main focus of this study is to demonstrate the importance of psychological well-being for undergraduate students, particularly first year university students. First year university students are undergoing many changes in which they must adapt in order to successfully transition. Psychological well-being is a phenomenon that is important for university students in order to successfully adapt to university life (Bowman, 2010). The basic structure of well-being has almost always revolved around the balance between positive and negative affect and life satisfaction (Bradburn, 1969). Discussions of psychological well-being have emphasized shortterm happiness as opposed to being able to overcome life’s challenges, for example having a sense of purpose and direction, achieving satisfying relationships, and gaining self-realization (Ryff, 1995). Ryff integrated extensive literature for a more cumulous definition of psychological well-being. She integrated theories from developmental psychology, life span theories, and clinical psychology. These theories included Maslow’s (1968) conception of selfactualization, Roger’s (1961) view of the fully functioning person, Jung’s (1933) formulation of individuation, Allport’s (1961) conception of maturity, Erikson’s (1959) psychosocial stage FIRST YEAR STUDENTS AT KING’S UNIVERSITY 4 model, Buhler’s (1935) basic life tendencies that work toward fulfillment of life, and Neugarten’s (1968) descriptions of personality change in adulthood and old age (Ryff, 1989). After integrating all of these theories Ryff provided a multi-dimensional model of psychological well-being using a six measure scale. The six measures used to yield an overall score on psychological well-being are: self-acceptance, positive relations with others, autonomy, environmental master, purpose in life, and personal growth (Ryff, 1989). Overall psychological well-being is a combination of all six of the subscales previously mentioned. Self-acceptance is one of the phenomenon that appears over and over again when examining the criteria of well-being. An individual who scores high on this measure will view oneself positively, accepts the good and bad qualities that make up who they are, and accepts their past life (Ryff, 1995). This is an important characteristic for adapting to university because if someone knows their good and bad qualities they can make choices that favour their strengths. Positive relations with others has also been recurrent in previous theories of well-being. The ability to love is viewed as an important aspect of mental health. Someone who scores high is able to develop warm, satisfying, trusting relationships, cares about the well-being of other and is capable of empathy and intimacy (Ryff, 1995). This trait would be an asset when first moving to university because it increases the likelihood of making friends which would ensure that students have a quality support system. Autonomy, otherwise known as self-determination, independence, and the ability to regulate behaviour from within, has also been emphasized when looking at theories of wellbeing. Someone who scores high on autonomy is independent in that they are able to resist social pressures and can think and act for themselves and not based on the opinions of others FIRST YEAR STUDENTS AT KING’S UNIVERSITY 5 (Ryff, 1995). This is important when adjusting to university in order to remain authentic in your pursuit of knowledge. Environmental mastery has also been valued in perspectives on well-being. This is the ability to advance in the world and change it creatively through physical or mental activities. Someone who scores high on environmental mastery has the ability to manage the environment by controlling external activities, and they are able to use opportunities that come their way effectively (Ryff, 1995). When adapting to university life environmental mastery is a trait that would encourage using time effectively and the ability to capitalize on opportunities that come up. Purpose in life is another important aspect of well-being. Someone who scores high on this measure has a sense of direction because of the goals they set for themselves, they hold meaning to their present and past life, they believe that life does have purpose, and they have objectives for themselves (Ryff, 1995). Having a sense of purpose is important when transitioning to university in order for someone to set goals for themselves. Lastly, personal growth is comparable to self-actualization and realizing one’s full potential. Someone who scores high on personal growth is continually developing and growing, is open to new experiences, realizes their full potential, and understands that they improve over time (Ryff, 1995). Transitioning to university successfully depends on your ability to grow and improve over time. Psychological well-being is relevant to life transitions because it is indicative of being able to overcome challenges, adapt to new environments, maintain relationships, and continual development. When moving away to university, students are faced with many new challenges including possibly living away from home for the first time, depending on themselves for FIRST YEAR STUDENTS AT KING’S UNIVERSITY 6 managing academics, finances, socializing and many other aspects of their lives. Many of these aspects associated with psychological well-being are also associated with performing well in higher education (Bowman, 2010). Students are under increasingly greater academic pressure (Cooke et. al.,2006). As more students continue with higher education, degrees are much more common and people are under more pressure to get a degree (Cooke et. al., 2006). Cooke et al found evidence which suggests that greater psychological strain is placed on students compared with their psychological wellbeing before college, that student’s generally score worse than non-students on scales of psychological well-being, and that the majority of students who score low on psychological wellbeing are not accessing the counseling services provided by the university. These findings show that although education has been viewed as protective from issues regarding mental health, higher education is a time of enhanced anxiety and lowered psychological well-being (Cooke et. al., 2006). An extensive body of research suggests that psychological well-being is linked with the ability to adopt adaptive coping strategies in academic contexts (Freire et al, 2016). Those who score higher in psychological well being tended to adopt adaptive strategies like commitment, positive reappraisal, or seeking instrumental and emotional support compared with those with lower psychological well-being (Freire et al, 2016). Those who have lower psychological wellbeing tend to use more dysfunctional coping strategies compared to those who scored higher in psychological well-being. These dysfunctional coping strategies include ignoring the problem, blaming themselves about the situation, or taking refuge in fantastic thoughts (Freire et al, 2016). Burris et al (2009) found that one of the best predictors of psychological well-being was optimism. An optimistic attitude among university students also encourages perseverance FIRST YEAR STUDENTS AT KING’S UNIVERSITY 7 necessary for success in an academic setting (Burris et al, 2009). This research indicates that if students were to adopt a more optimistic attitude they could improve their psychological wellbeing and likely their success in their academic career. Burris et al also found that health as a value and psychological well-being were positively correlated. Health as a value includes health promoting behaviours such as exercise, and abstinence from health diminishing substances like alcohol, marijuana and nicotine (Burris et al, 2009). Those who value their health are likely interested in promoting psychological well-being and preventing psychological distress (Burris et al, 2009). Burris et al also found that religiousness and spirituality were significantly correlated with psychological well-being. The results of th