Literature Review and Research Question
The mental health of young adults has become a widely discussed issue in contemporary social and educational circles. It has been linked to rising cases of violence, suicide, and college dropout rates (Campbell et al., 2022). Based on these effects, it is estimated that up to 60% of the larger student population in colleges suffer from at least one mental health problem (Abrahams, 2022).
Furthermore, up to 77% of the college student population has reported some level of psychological distress in their lives (Bryant & Welding, 2023). These mental health challenges have occurred in different forms, including trauma, high incidences of substance abuse, and eating disorders, just to mention a few (Campbell et al., 2022). The statistics are relatable for students who attribute their poor standards of academic achievement to mental health challenges (Martin & Steinbeck, 2017). These findings indicate that there is a worrisome increase in the rates of mental health challenges among college students.
Researchers have come up with multiple factors contributing to the increasing prevalence of mental health issues among college students. Some have drawn attention to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on learning, arguing that the difficulties students experience in adjusting to a virtual learning environment are partly to blame for this trend (Gere et al., 2023). However, some scholars indicate that the current increase in the cases of mental health issues among young adults is part of a trend that was present before the pandemic began (Abrahams, 2022). Others have attributed the problem to changing social, political, economic, and technological forces affecting the world and students’ livelihoods (Martin & Steinbeck, 2017).
For example, high rates of student debt have been linked to increased instances of college dropout and a decline in the perceived value of higher education in the lives of young people (Campbell et al., 2022). These forces have generated socioeconomic uncertainties about the prospects of building a sustainable future, with students questioning whether they can secure jobs and have their physical safety guaranteed (Colarossi, 2022). The breakdown of families and the traditional social unit has exacerbated these problems.
The rising cases of mental health among young adults have led to a rise in requests for care. For example, counseling centers have reported an increase in the demand for their services (Abrahams, 2022). Relative to this development, a Dean at the University of Virginia admitted to having tripled the number of staff working at their counseling center (Abrahams, 2022). However, he believes that this plan is a short-term measure to address the problem, as hiring more staff cannot keep pace with the rise in demand for mental health services in the community (Abrahams, 2022).
In response to this problem, higher education institutions are integrating a new approach to managing students’ well-being. For example, psychologists play an essential role in encouraging institutions of higher learning to adopt a broader culture of promoting student well-being as a tool for addressing mental health challenges (Colarossi, 2022). They have also provided supplementary support to faculty members who can help students in need.
The rising incidences of mental health cases within the larger college population have been addressed from two perspectives. One group of researchers believes that it conveys a bleak future for students because unaddressed mental health issues could lead to lifelong psychological problems in adulthood (Gere et al., 2023; Shaffer, 2014). Others argue that this development is positive because it indicates a rise in the number of young adults seeking mental health services (Abrahams, 2022). This statement has been advanced from the idea that past cases of mental health issues remain largely undiagnosed or reported (Bjorklund & Ellis, 2014). Therefore, the rise in the number of students seeking such services is seen as a broader positive step for understanding the scope and extent of the problem in society.
This paper presents a proposal for a research study designed to address the mental health challenges faced by young adults. The plan is to employ a developmental psychology perspective to address the following research questions.
- What is the nature of the relationship between the rising incidences of mental health cases among college students and socioeconomic problems affecting society?
- Is there a similarity between mental health issues affecting college students today and those that have affected past generations of learners?
- Can behavior change interventions help students cultivate better mental health?
Description of Participants, Research Methods, and Design
The rationale for conducting the proposed research stems from the failure to contextualize the rising incidences of mental health problems affecting college students within the broader environmental issues influencing the cognitive growth and psychological development of young people in the community. The proposed study seeks to provide a psychological explanation of the rising rates of mental health issues among college students to gain a better understanding of the problem. The analysis will contribute to the development of a robust framework for addressing the issue.
Hypotheses
Hypothesis 1
Based on the data gathered in this study, three hypotheses will be tested in the proposed study. The first one stems from the link established between psychological development and environmental factors. High rates of student debt, breakdown of family structures, and substance abuse are some of the issues mentioned in the present study, which could explain the rise in cases of mental health problems among college students (Campbell et al., 2022). Therefore, the first hypothesis that will be tested in the proposed study is as follows:
The rising incidences of mental health cases affecting college students stem from socioeconomic problems affecting society.
Hypothesis 2
The second hypothesis that will be tested in the current investigation will try to understand patterns between the current wave of mental health issues affecting college students and past cases of previous generations of learners. The investigation is crucial in identifying similarities and differences in causality or the impact of underreporting on the mental health of learners (Gere et al., 2023). Exact comparisons are crucial for understanding the relationship between family relationships and social bonds and their impact on students’ mental health outcomes (Martin & Steinbeck, 2017). Stemming from this background of research, the second hypothesis to be tested is listed below.
Mental health issues affecting college students today are similar to those that have affected past generations of learners.
Hypothesis 3
The last hypothesis to be tested in the proposed study addresses the foundation for developing solutions to the current mental health challenges affecting students in higher education institutions. The use of behavioral measures to improve mental health outcomes has been explored in several studies sampled in this proposal (Campbell et al., 2022; Colarossi, 2022). Thus, the following hypothesis will be tested
Students can be conditioned to develop improved mental well-being through behavior change interventions.
Research Frameworks
The techniques the researcher will use to test the hypotheses mentioned above will be based on considerations related to the research participants, topic, and environment in which the study will be conducted. First, the broader research process will be grounded in philosophical interpretations of the findings. This activity will describe the worldview that was used to develop or contextualize the research and analyze its findings (Islam et al., 2022).
Relative to this assertion, the most commonly cited research philosophies in academic studies include ontology, epistemology, realism, and positivism (Singh & Dubey, 2021). Epistemology will serve as the primary research framework because it considers humans as social actors within their environments (Strange et al., 2020). Therefore, the analysis will be based on assessing differences among people, their cognitive development patterns, and their roles as social actors to answer the research questions.
Data Collection
The proposed research will be conducted in an institutional setting and will target 300 participants enrolled in various degree programs within the higher education sector. Data will be collected using virtual survey questionnaires. This technique is appropriate for the proposed investigation because it enables researchers to collect data from a large population of informants (Bryman, 2015). The questionnaires will measure data using the 5-Point Likert scale, which evaluates informants’ views based on whether they “strongly agree,” “agree,” “neither agree nor disagree,” “disagree”, or “strongly disagree” with statements posed in questionnaires.
Data Analysis
Students who will participate in the study will be recruited randomly from the larger student population of the institution where the researcher is based. Data collected from the surveys will be analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) tool, version 25. Descriptive and inferential tools from the software package will be employed in the review. Comparatively, supplementary data will be obtained from secondary research sources, including books, peer-reviewed journals, and credible websites. Efforts will be made to include materials that were published within the last five years. The goal is to obtain updated information about the research problem. Therefore, materials published before 2018 will be excluded from the investigation.
Ethical Considerations
The involvement of human participants in the proposed study raises several ethical implications, as people’s rights are unalienable, even when conducting research studies. Stated differently, researchers should protect the interests of respondents by preventing harm from affecting them as a result of their participation in the study. In relation to this assertion, DeRenzo et al. (2020) emphasize the importance of addressing these ethical concerns by suggesting that researchers should prioritize the rights and interests of informants when conducting their investigations.
To this end, the main ethical implications of the proposed study will stem from the interactions between the researcher and students during the collection of primary data. Relative to this statement, four ethical principles – privacy, data treatment, consent, and withdrawal from the investigation – form the basis for the ethical review analysis highlighted below. Additional ethical implications related to the use of published information will also be discussed.
Informed Consent
All participants will be provided with comprehensive details regarding the research process via email before confirming their participation. Therefore, it will be assumed that, after understanding the context of the study and choosing to participate in it, they will provide their views willingly. At the same time, the researcher will not offer monetary incentives or coerce informants into participating in the investigation. Thus, the views provided by the students will be obtained through free will.
Anonymity and Confidentiality
The identities of students who choose to participate in the research will not be disclosed in the final report. The goal is to protect them from any consequences that may arise from their involvement in the research process. In this regard, the respondents’ views will be presented anonymously, as the researcher’s focus is on gathering their opinions rather than exposing their identities to the rest of the student population.
Withdrawal from the Investigation
Participants will be allowed to withdraw from the investigation at any stage of the research process. However, if they chose to do so midway through the probe, any information they provided before taking such an action would be used in the study. The aim of allowing the respondents to withdraw from the investigation in this manner is to ensure they still exercise free will throughout the research process.
Treatment of Data
All sources of information used to generate the final report will be stored securely in a computer and protected using a password that will only be accessible to the researcher. After the publication of the final report, this data will be destroyed to safeguard the integrity of the research process and findings from unauthorized use. Regarding the secondary data analysis part of the proposed study, the researcher will make additional plans only to review materials that do not require the express permission of the authors or their associated agencies before using the contents. Stated differently, all sources used as secondary research materials will be freely available online. Additionally, ethical approval will be sought from the university’s ethics committee before contacting students for participation in the study.
References
Abrahams, Z. (2022). Student mental health is in crisis: Campuses are rethinking their approach. Monitor on Psychology, 53(7), 1-60. Web.
Bjorklund, D. F., & Ellis, B. J. (2014). Children, childhood, and development in evolutionary perspective. Developmental Review, 34(3), 225–264. Web.
Bryant, J., & Welding, S. (2023). College student mental health statistics. Web.
Bryman, A. (2015). Social research methods. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Campbell, F., Blank, L., & Cantrell, A. (2022). Factors that influence mental health of university and college students in the UK: A systematic review. BMC Public Health, 22(1778), 1-11. Web.
Colarossi, J. (2022). Mental health of college students is getting worse. Web.
DeRenzo, E., Singer, E. A., & Moss, J. (2020). Ethical considerations when preparing a clinical research protocol. London: Elsevier Science.
Gere, N., Talley, W., & Irioogbe, B. (2023). College students mental health challenges: Concerns and considerations in the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of College Student Psychotherapy, 37(1), 39-51. Web.
Iphofen, R., & O’MathĂşna, D. (Ed.). (2021). Ethical issues in covert, security and surveillance research: Advances in research ethics and integrity. Bingley: Emerald Publishing Limited.
Islam, M. R., Khan, N., & Baikady, R. (2022). Principles of social research methodology. Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore.
Martin, A., & Steinbeck, K. (2017). The role of puberty in students’ academic motivation and achievement. Learning and Individual Difference, 5(3), 37-46. Web.
Shaffer, D. (2014). Developmental psychology: Childhood and adolescence. London: Cengage Learning.
Singh, Y. K., & Dubey, B. (2021). Introduction of research methods and publication ethics. New Delhi: Friends Publications.
Strange, R., Ghauri, P., & Grønhaug, K. (2020). Research methods in business studies. London: Cambridge University Press.