The number of depressed Malaysian university students has sharply increased over the past ten years. What started as a localized academic issue has now become a major national mental health crisis, but the true experiences of those affected remain elusive. Therefore, the purpose of the research is to comprehend the authentic experiences of students in Malaysian universities who are experiencing depression. This research employed a qualitative methodology via a phenomenological framework involving five participants female university students who are diagnosed clinically with depression. Information was accessed via semi-structured interviews that were digitally audiotaped, transcribed verbatim and translated to English to analyse the information. The results indicate that there are six major themes that describe the experience of having depression. They are high-achieving students losing their academic identity because they entered the survival mode, a bitter fight between seeking the help of professional assistance and turning to drug use or self-harm in order to cope, the pressure of being a normal, fearing to be seen as a burden, the contradiction between familial beliefs and attributing depression to lack of spirituality, the physically isolated nature of staying in the room because of the need to avoid social interaction, and the impact of past sexual abuse as an underlying factor of psychological trauma. The themes indicate that student depression is not just a medical problem but they are very much influenced by intrapersonal, social, cultural, and spiritual demands. It is thus recommendable to provide necessary support that will alleviate the deep-seated experience of depression, especially in the university.
Objective. The aim of this paper was to examine the association between appearance-based social comparison and eating disorder symptoms, body satisfaction, depressive symptoms, drive for muscularity, self-esteem, and physical activity in Brazilian college women. Method. The participants were 542 college women aged 18 to 30. A questionnaire was used to collect information on appearance comparisons, eating disorders symptoms, body satisfaction, depressive symptoms, drive for muscularity, self-esteem, and physical activity. A multiple linear regression was conducted adjusted by age, marital status, body mass index, and economic level. Results. The model that best explained the appearance comparisons scores variation included eating disorders symptoms (β= .385; p< .001), body satisfaction (β= -.200; p< .001), depressive symptoms (β= .169; p< .001), and drive for muscularity (β= .091; p< .05). Conclusion. Eating disorders, depressive symptoms, drive for muscularity, and body satisfaction were associated with appearance comparisons.
Aim and background: Sleep is a biological necessity essential for physical and mental well-being, yet many young adults, particularly college students, experience sleep disruptions due to major life changes and poor sleep hygiene.This study aimed to identify the determinants of insomnia among undergraduate female students in a rural area of Haryana.Materials and methods: A mixed-method study was conducted between May 2024 and May 2025 involving 340 undergraduate female students.Quantitative data were collected using a semi-structured socio-demographic questionnaire and the insomnia severity index (ISI).Qualitative insights were gathered through in-depth interviews (IDI) with 15 students identified with clinically significant insomnia.Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software version 26, with significance set at p < 0.05.Results: The prevalence of clinically significant insomnia in the cohort was 5.6% (n = 19).Quantitative analysis revealed that the participant's state of origin was the only statistically significant socio-demographic determinant (p = 0.031).Students from states other than Haryana reported a significantly higher insomnia prevalence (12.5%) compared to those from Haryana (4.2%).Factors such as age, socio-economic status, and type of occupancy showed no significant correlation.Qualitative themes highlighted academic performance, overuse of electronic devices, social environment, and psycho-social stress as primary triggers.Conclusion: While the prevalence of insomnia is relatively low, it is significantly driven by academic transitions, excessive screen time, and communal living challenges.A notable awareness-action gap exists, as students recognize the importance of sleep but prefer self-management or mindfulness over professional clinical help.
Industry-led mentoring is a strategic tool that can bridge the gap between academic knowledge and practical expertise, providing mentees with skills development opportunities that stretch beyond what can be learned via classroom-based educational approaches alone. Mentoring is now commonplace within organisational life, but is less common within UK university business schools. This suggests a knowledge gap in terms of understanding how mentoring can be embedded as a complementary tool to improve student skills development within business schools. The aim of this study was to explore the perceived value of industry mentorship from the perspective of the mentees, to develop a greater understanding of the potential benefits mentoring relationships at a university level can provide. Following the journey of mentees on a Women in Business mentoring programme, this study specifically explored the context of female university students. Mentees on the programme were female undergraduate and postgraduate students studying on courses within Sheffield Business School. Using a longitudinal study design, semi-structured interviews were conducted at three stages of a yearlong mentoring programme: 1. pre-mentoring, 2. during mentoring, and 3. post-mentoring. Interview transcripts were analysed thematically using Braun and Clarke’s six-phase framework. The findings show the value of mentoring from a mentee perspective, most notably the notion of having someone in their corner, an ability to gain personalised guidance, and the opportunity to develop a professional network. The challenges of being mentored at this level were also expressed, drawing attention to the need for pre-mentoring education to support meaningful engagement with the process, and a requirement for a clear scheme structure to guide mentees. Guided by these findings, we offer key practical recommendations to programme designers so they can successfully utilise mentoring as part of their offer to students, thus supporting university business schools to further enhance their career and skills development offerings.
منتورینگ با هدایت صنعت، ابزاری راهبردی است که میتواند فاصله میان دانش دانشگاهی و تخصص عملی را پر کند و فرصتهایی برای توسعه مهارتها در اختیار منتورگیرندگان قرار دهد که فراتر از آن چیزی است که صرفاً از طریق رویکردهای آموزشی مبتنی بر کلاس درس قابل یادگیری است. منتورینگ اکنون در زندگی سازمانی رایج است، اما در دانشکدههای مدیریت بازرگانی دانشگاههای بریتانیا کمتر متداول است. این امر نشاندهنده شکاف دانشی در زمینه درک چگونگی ادغام منتورینگ به عنوان ابزاری مکمل برای بهبود توسعه مهارتهای دانشجویان در دانشکدههای مدیریت بازرگانی است. هدف این مطالعه، بررسی ارزش ادراکشده منتورینگ صنعتی از دیدگاه منتورگیرندگان به منظور درک بهتر مزایای بالقوه روابط منتورینگ در سطح دانشگاهی بود. این پژوهش با دنبال کردن مسیر منتورگیرندگان در یک برنامه منتورینگ زنان در کسبوکار، به طور خاص به زمینه دانشجویان زن دانشگاهی پرداخت. منتورگیرندگان این برنامه، دانشجویان زن مقطع کارشناسی و کارشناسی ارشد بودند که در دورههای مختلف دانشکده مدیریت بازرگانی Sheffield تحصیل میکردند. با استفاده از طرح مطالعه طولی، مصاحبههای نیمهساختاریافته در سه مرحله از یک برنامه منتورینگ یکساله انجام شد: ۱. پیش از منتورینگ، ۲. در حین منتورینگ، و ۳. پس از منتورینگ. رونوشتهای مصاحبهها با استفاده از چارچوب ششمرحلهای Braun و Clarke به صورت تماتیک تحلیل شدند. یافتهها ارزش منتورینگ را از دیدگاه منتورگیرندگان نشان میدهد، به ویژه مفهوم داشتن فردی حامی، امکان دریافت راهنمایی شخصیسازیشده و فرصت توسعه شبکه حرفهای. همچنین چالشهای منتورینگ در این سطح بیان شد که بر نیاز به آموزش پیش از منتورینگ برای حمایت از مشارکت معنادار در این فرایند و لزوم وجود ساختار شفاف برنامه برای راهنمایی منتورگیرندگان تأکید دارد. بر اساس این یافتهها، توصیههای عملی کلیدی به طراحان برنامه ارائه میشود تا بتوانند منتورینگ را به طور موفقیتآمیز به عنوان بخشی از پیشنهاد خود به دانشجویان به کار گیرند و بدین ترتیب دانشکدههای مدیریت بازرگانی دانشگاهی را در ارتقای بیشتر فرصتهای توسعه شغلی و مهارتی دانشجویان حمایت کنند.
