Psychological Distress and Online Academic Difficulties: Development and Validation of Scale to Measure Students’ Mental Health Problems in Online Learning
In the present study, a short instrument (eight-item self-report, five-point Likert scales) was developed and validated to assess self-perceived mental health problems in online learning. The participants were 398 Romanian university students from nine different faculties. The factor structure of th...
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MDPI AG
2024-12-01
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| author | Mihai Curelaru Versavia Curelaru |
| author_facet | Mihai Curelaru Versavia Curelaru |
| author_sort | Mihai Curelaru |
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| description | In the present study, a short instrument (eight-item self-report, five-point Likert scales) was developed and validated to assess self-perceived mental health problems in online learning. The participants were 398 Romanian university students from nine different faculties. The factor structure of the scale was assessed using Exploratory Factor Analysis (Principal Axis Factoring extraction method) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis. The high goodness-of-fit indices validated a second-order factor model of mental health problems, with two distinct but correlated sub-constructs, psychological distress, and online academic difficulties, integrated under a single higher-level factor. Psychological distress comprises indicators such as anxiety and stress, while online academic difficulties contain, for instance, indicators such as decreased performance, fatigue or lack of motivation. The results of applying multiple assessment criteria showed good reliability (e.g., McDonald’s omega), as well as convergent validity (e.g., Average Variance Extracted) and discriminant validity (e.g., the heterotrait–monotrait ratio of correlations) of the scale. Also, correlations analysis between mental health problems occurred in online learning context and other measures indicated a strong negative relation with online course satisfaction and weak negative relations with subjective academic performance, perceived social competence, and perceived digital competence. In conclusion, the scale appears to be a valid instrument for measuring some negative mental health outcomes in online learning, perceived by university students. The implications of the results and limitations of this study are also discussed. In conclusion, the scale has multiple possible applications, the most important being (1) the assessment of mental health problems both in ordinary online learning situations and in emergency ones, which would allow the early detection of these issues, (2) the possibility of assessing relations between the sub-constructs of the scale and other psychological constructs of interest in scientific research, and (3) the feedback for teaching staff involved in the online learning system. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3a8988137b1e4d88825e1c53f4e057f3 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2076-328X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Behavioral Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-3a8988137b1e4d88825e1c53f4e057f32025-01-24T13:22:39ZengMDPI AGBehavioral Sciences2076-328X2024-12-011512610.3390/bs15010026Psychological Distress and Online Academic Difficulties: Development and Validation of Scale to Measure Students’ Mental Health Problems in Online LearningMihai Curelaru0Versavia Curelaru1Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, 700506 Iasi, RomaniaDepartment of Teacher Training, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, 700506 Iasi, RomaniaIn the present study, a short instrument (eight-item self-report, five-point Likert scales) was developed and validated to assess self-perceived mental health problems in online learning. The participants were 398 Romanian university students from nine different faculties. The factor structure of the scale was assessed using Exploratory Factor Analysis (Principal Axis Factoring extraction method) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis. The high goodness-of-fit indices validated a second-order factor model of mental health problems, with two distinct but correlated sub-constructs, psychological distress, and online academic difficulties, integrated under a single higher-level factor. Psychological distress comprises indicators such as anxiety and stress, while online academic difficulties contain, for instance, indicators such as decreased performance, fatigue or lack of motivation. The results of applying multiple assessment criteria showed good reliability (e.g., McDonald’s omega), as well as convergent validity (e.g., Average Variance Extracted) and discriminant validity (e.g., the heterotrait–monotrait ratio of correlations) of the scale. Also, correlations analysis between mental health problems occurred in online learning context and other measures indicated a strong negative relation with online course satisfaction and weak negative relations with subjective academic performance, perceived social competence, and perceived digital competence. In conclusion, the scale appears to be a valid instrument for measuring some negative mental health outcomes in online learning, perceived by university students. The implications of the results and limitations of this study are also discussed. In conclusion, the scale has multiple possible applications, the most important being (1) the assessment of mental health problems both in ordinary online learning situations and in emergency ones, which would allow the early detection of these issues, (2) the possibility of assessing relations between the sub-constructs of the scale and other psychological constructs of interest in scientific research, and (3) the feedback for teaching staff involved in the online learning system.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/1/26mental health problemspsychological distressonline academic difficultiesonline learningCOVID-19scale development |
| spellingShingle | Mihai Curelaru Versavia Curelaru Psychological Distress and Online Academic Difficulties: Development and Validation of Scale to Measure Students’ Mental Health Problems in Online Learning Behavioral Sciences mental health problems psychological distress online academic difficulties online learning COVID-19 scale development |
| title | Psychological Distress and Online Academic Difficulties: Development and Validation of Scale to Measure Students’ Mental Health Problems in Online Learning |
| title_full | Psychological Distress and Online Academic Difficulties: Development and Validation of Scale to Measure Students’ Mental Health Problems in Online Learning |
| title_fullStr | Psychological Distress and Online Academic Difficulties: Development and Validation of Scale to Measure Students’ Mental Health Problems in Online Learning |
| title_full_unstemmed | Psychological Distress and Online Academic Difficulties: Development and Validation of Scale to Measure Students’ Mental Health Problems in Online Learning |
| title_short | Psychological Distress and Online Academic Difficulties: Development and Validation of Scale to Measure Students’ Mental Health Problems in Online Learning |
| title_sort | psychological distress and online academic difficulties development and validation of scale to measure students mental health problems in online learning |
| topic | mental health problems psychological distress online academic difficulties online learning COVID-19 scale development |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/1/26 |
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