Author(s)

Dingzhong Huang ¹, Rohani Ismail ¹, Kar Kheng Yeoh ², Affizal Ahmad ¹

Affiliation(s)

¹ School of Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia Health Campus, Kota Bharu, Kelantan, 16150, Malaysia
² School of Chemical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Gelugor, Penang, 11800, Malaysia

Corresponding Author

Affizal Ahmad

ABSTRACT

This paper explores the application value of the dual-factor model in the college student population. The study found that the traditional view regards mental health as a single continuous spectrum, while positive psychology theory proposes a new understanding - mental health contains two relatively independent dimensions: subjective well-being and psychological distress. Further analysis shows that the dual-factor model has good applicability in the college student population. This model can comprehensively assess the mental health status of students and distinguish the key factors affecting subjective well-being and psychological distress. More importantly, this model provides a theoretical basis for developing targeted intervention strategies, including layered and personalized approaches. Future research should further deepen and expand this model to better promote the maintenance and enhancement of mental health among college students.

KEYWORDS

Mental health, dual-factor model, college students, subjective well-being, psychological distress

CITE THIS PAPER

Dingzhong Huang, Rohani Ismail, Kar Kheng Yeoh, Affizal Ahmad, Exploring the Dual-Factor Model of Mental Health in College Students. Applied & Educational Psychology (2024) Vol. 5: 40-49. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.23977/appep.2024.050707.

REFERENCES

[1] Hyseni Duraku, Z., Davis, H., & Hamiti, E. (2023). Mental health, study skills, social support, and barriers to seeking psychological help among university students: A call for mental health support in higher education. Frontiers in Public Health, 11, 1220614. 
[2] Smith, S. G., & Shochet, I. M. (2018). The impact of mental health literacy on help-seeking intentions in college students. Journal of College Student Psychotherapy, 32(1), 1-10.
[3] Khoshaim, H. B., Al-Sukayt, A., Chinna, K., Nurunnabi, M., Sundarasen, S., Kamaludin, K., ... & Hossain, S. F. A. (2020). Anxiety level of university students during COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 11, 579750.
[4] Yang, H., et al. (2021). Relationship between interpersonal competences and loneliness among Chinese college students. Journal of Interpersonal Relations.
[5] Wathelet, M., Duhem, S., Vaiva, G., Baubet, T., Habran, E., Veerapa, E., ... & D'Hondt, F. (2020). Factors associated with mental health disorders among university students in France confined during the COVID-19 pandemic. JAMA Network Open, 3(10), e2025591.
[6] Keyes, C. L. (2021). The mental health continuum: From languishing to flourishing in life. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 62(2), 207-222.
[7] Hernández-Torrano, D., Ibrayeva, L., Clementi, A., Almukhambetova, A., & Muratkyzy, A. (2020). Mental health and well-being of university students: A bibliometric mapping of the literature. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 1226.
[8] Zhang, H., et al. (2021). Lifestyle factors and psychological well-being: A study among Chinese university students. BMC Public Health.
[9] Jiang, Y., Ding, C., & Shen, B. (2023). Latent profile analysis of mental health among Chinese university students: Evidence for the dual-factor model. Healthcare, 11(20), 2719.
[10] Liu, Y., et al. (2022). The impact of academic pressure on mental health among Chinese college students: A longitudinal study. Journal of Affective Disorders.
[11] Wang, K., Li, Y., & Chen, J. (2019). Impact of social activities and lifestyle on the mental health of university students: A cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health.
[12] Barnett, P., Arundell, L. L., Saunders, R., Matthews, H., & Pilling, S. (2021). The efficacy of psychological interventions for the prevention and treatment of mental health disorders in university students: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of affective disorders, 280, 381-390.
[13] Zhao, Y., et al. (2022). The role of professional choice and future planning in the mental health of Chinese students. Educational Psychology.
[14] Tennant, R., Hiller, L., Fishwick, R., Platt, S., Joseph, S., Weich, S., ... & Stewart-Brown, S. (2019). The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS): Development and UK validation. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 7(1), 16.
[15] Hides, L., Quinn, C., Stoyanov, S., Cockshaw, W., Mitchell, T., & Kavanagh, D. J. (2020). Is the mental well-being of young Australians best represented by a single or dual continua model? BMC Public Health, 20(1), 41.
[16] Chen, W., Zheng, Q., Liang, C., Xie, Y., & Gu, D. (2020). Factors influencing college students' mental health promotion: The mediating effect of online mental health information seeking. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(13), 4783.

Sponsors, Associates, and Links

---

• Advances in Educational Technology and Psychology
  
  
• Curriculum and Teaching Methodology
  
  
• Transactions on Comparative Education
  
  
• Advances in Vocational and Technical Education
  
  
• Adult and Higher Education