• Login
    View Item 
    •   Home
    • Brock Theses
    • Masters Theses
    • M.A. Applied Disability Studies
    • View Item
    •   Home
    • Brock Theses
    • Masters Theses
    • M.A. Applied Disability Studies
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    Browse

    All of BrockUCommunitiesPublication DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsThis CollectionPublication DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsProfilesView

    My Account

    LoginRegister

    Statistics

    Display statistics

    An Exploration of Post-Secondary Students’ Use of an Online Pledge Program to Improve Wellbeing

    • CSV
    • RefMan
    • EndNote
    • BibTex
    • RefWorks
    Thumbnail
    Name:
    Brock_Robinson_Meghan_2021.pdf
    Size:
    1.716Mb
    Format:
    PDF
    Description:
    Final Thesis
    Download
    Author
    Robinson, Meghan
    Keyword
    Student
    Post-secondary
    Stress
    Wellbeing
    Pledge
    
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/10464/15275
    Abstract
    BACKGROUND: Increasing numbers of post-secondary students report that their stress is so overwhelming it inhibits their academic achievement and impacts their health. On campus, traditional, clinical paradigms for managing mental health by treating individuals already experiencing breakdowns in their ability to cope are no longer keeping pace with need. Adding more accessible, non-clinical interventions that focus on prevention and build individual, collective, and institutional well-being have the potential to enhance students’ capacity for managing significant stressors. This study explores university students’ participation in a new online wellness intervention that uses theory-informed, evidence-based pledges to build coping, caring, and connecting practices. METHODS: Between September 2020 and June 2021, in response to promotional campaigns for the intervention, 966 unique visitors accessed the intervention (website) 2,124 times. 114 individuals completed the brief, researcher-designed online survey assessing demographic characteristics, academic standing, substance use behaviours, and which one of the nine pledges they selected; 89 met eligibility criteria of being Brock students and were included in the study. RESULTS: The final sample consisted of 86.5% female-identifying participants, with an average age of 21.5 years. 21.3% were first-year students. 48.3% reported an average grade between 65-79%; none reported an average grade less than 65%. Past-month alcohol and cannabis consumption was lower than what might be expected in typical post-secondary populations. 69.7% made a pledge that could help themselves cope with their stress (with most choosing to use positive affirmations or intentionally spend time in nature). 16.9% pledged to commit an action that showed others they cared. 13.5% made a pledge that could help make their institution a better place to be. All pledges were selected at least once. Pledge choice was not associated with demographic, academic or substance use characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: This small, preliminary study suggests this online pledge initiative should be further investigated with larger, more diverse samples as a promising avenue to build students’ capacity to cope with stress and form caring and supportive connections on campus. It offers ideas for feasible and low-cost structural changes institutions can make to support the wellbeing of all students.
    Collections
    M.A. Applied Disability Studies

    entitlement

     
    DSpace software (copyright © 2002 - 2022)  DuraSpace
    Quick Guide | Contact Us
    Open Repository is a service operated by 
    Atmire NV
     

    Export search results

    The export option will allow you to export the current search results of the entered query to a file. Different formats are available for download. To export the items, click on the button corresponding with the preferred download format.

    By default, clicking on the export buttons will result in a download of the allowed maximum amount of items.

    To select a subset of the search results, click "Selective Export" button and make a selection of the items you want to export. The amount of items that can be exported at once is similarly restricted as the full export.

    After making a selection, click one of the export format buttons. The amount of items that will be exported is indicated in the bubble next to export format.