1

ECO483: Basics of Survey Design

Mid-Semester Project Report

Submitted to: Dr. Ram Ranjan

Submitted by:

Ashana Gambhir 2110110143

Aryan Mishra 2110110139

Dwiti Modi 2110110209

Title: The Correlation of Mental Health and Lifestyle Factors of College Students

Abstract: This study explores the correlation between mental health and various lifestyle factors

among college students, a topic gaining prominence due to the increasing academic demands and

external stressors, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The research aims to identify key lifestyle

factors—including sleep patterns, physical activity, social life, eating habits, and academic

stress—that influence students' mental well-being. Data is being collected through a survey of

100 randomly selected college students, using questions designed to capture these variables. The

ordered probit regression model will be employed to analyze the relationship between mental

health and these lifestyle factors. Expected results include a negative correlation between mental

well-being and factors such as burnout frequency, overburdening, and stress during assessments,

while positive correlations are anticipated with physical activity, social satisfaction, and sleep

quality. The study is currently in progress, and the findings are expected to offer actionable

insights for academic institutions to design interventions aimed at enhancing student mental

health and academic performance.

 2

Introduction:

(a)Research Question: In what ways do the pressures and routines of university life, like

balancing social connections, maintaining healthy eating and sleep habits, staying active, and

managing academic expectations, impact the mental well-being of students?

(b) Objective: The objective of our study is to identify the various lifestyle factors that may be

causal or indicative of the mental well-being of college students. They may help identify poor

mental health among students and help them and the institute take the necessary actions to help

make the situation better. It might be able to draw a proper framework to maybe prove statistical

correlation, using which could push for some set provisions that help students deal with things in

a better manner.

(c) Expected Outcomes: The following outcomes can be expected from the study:

1. Tendency to overburden, frequency of burnouts, counseling, and stress during an assessment

have a negative correlation with mental well-being.

2. Physical activity, satisfaction with social circle, eating habits, sleep patterns and quality,

previous scores, and interest in their field of study have a positive correlation with mental

well-being.

Literature Review: Various research papers were explored to properly assess the factors that can

be used. The variables as well as model of operation for the study were chosen after much

deliberation and consideration after learning from the shortcomings and omissions of numerous

scholars.
 3

The paper titled ‘Academic stress as a predictor of mental health in university students’1 by

Pamela Córdova Olivera highlights that academic stress is undoubtedly one of the major stress

that affects mental health of a University Student. It is essential to know this to minimize its

adverse effects and assist students in coping with the pressure of university life. The present

study focused on 1,265 undergraduate students from a private university to understand the

relationships between academic stress and global mental health.

Some of the stressors that are identified that significantly influence student mental health were

mentioned. These include self-imposed pressure, time management struggles, group

project-related stress, and performance anxiety. Part of that pressure also comes from the

self-imposed stress — high expectations students place on themselves out of fear they'll lose

their scholarship or not do as well as they need to for family. You may experience stress due to

time management of work and personal life. The stress that comes from working with others

(conflicts, competitiveness) is associated with group project stress, while the fear of failure on

exams or assignments leads to performance anxiety. This was a predictor of poorer mental

health, demonstrated by the higher levels of stress perceived as leading to less mental health.

Instead of additional factors surrounding practical stressors, this research focused on emotional

and psychological contributions. It could be attributed to the pandemic, where the learning

environments shifted and resulted in stress levels rising due to online learning. Not being able to

get experience as much in-person support and feeling more alone may have led the students to

feel less equipped to manage the academic stressors, therefore increasing the prominence of how

threatened or tasked they felt by academic demands over what those actual demands were.

Students who were stressed by academic demands and felt overburdened were even more likely

1
Academic stress as a predictor of mental health in university students by Pamela Córdova Olivera-Taylor and
Francis
 4

to report low mental health, hanging from extreme fatigue, lack of drive or success. It also ties in

with a new wave of theoretical work in psychology finding that stress is not just an external

pressure but the thing we feel when our perception of a situation fundamentally conflicts with

how it feels to be us. This makes it very difficult to get rid of stress since when students feel they

are not able to handle the pressure, which snowballs from their inability to deal with their fears

and insecurities — the impact on student mental health will be bad.

The research paper titled ‘How stress-related factors affect the mental well-being of university

students A cross-sectional study to explore the associations between stressors, perceived stress,

and mental well-being’2 by Sybren Slimmen, concentrates on the increasing levels of concern

towards student mental health and defines well-being as something more than simply being

healthy. Mental well-being consists of how satisfied we are with our lives psychological

functioning, and the perception of our ability to maintain earnings and credibility as well. One of

the major factors contributing to poor mental health among students is stress, with research

findings reporting that there are high levels of stress among students which ultimately results in

burnout, emotional exhaustion, and social isolation. Perceived stress plays a key role as the study

explores how individuals experience academic stresses, financial strains, family support

processes and personal coping resources all influence mental wellbeing.

Using a conceptual model derived from frameworks including the Job Demands-Resources

model, the present study examines how these stressors relate to perceived stress and mental

health, as well as focusing on individual differences using moderators such as trait emotional

stability or coping style in attenuating effects of stress.

A convenience sample of students (mainly female) was recruited from HZ University for a

2
How stress-related factors affect the mental well-being of university students A cross-sectional study to explore the
associations between stressors, perceived stress, and mental wellbeing’ by Sybren Slimmen- National Library of
Medicine, US (2022)
 5

web-based survey study. These included a range of key variables such as mental well-being,

stress, coping styles, loneliness, self-esteem, and personality traits using well-established scales.

The SPSS analysis confirmed a very strong negative association between perceived stress and

mental well-being. However, those who experienced more stress tended to have worse mental

well-being indicating that higher stress levels were associated with lower mental wellbeing.

The study showed that forms of coping like approach coping and emotional stability moderated

the negative relationship between stress and burnout. We also observed that high levels of

perceived stress mediated the association between most types of underlying stressors and mental

well-being, thus indicating a central role for the perceptions of students in their ability to cope

with these stressors. Loneliness and self-esteem were also associated with levels of stress, but

these factors did not directly moderate the relationship between stress, and wellbeing.

The results point to the need for effective means of coping with stress, as well as potential ways

to limit academic pressure to preserve mental health.

The paper, titled Academic Stress and Mental Well-being in College Students (Barbayannis G,

Bandari M, Zheng X, Baquerizo H, Pecor KW and Ming X (2022))3, is a survey-based study that

examines how various groups of students experience academic stress and its direct relationship

with mental well-being. It uses the Perception of Academic Stress Scale (PAS) and the Short

Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (SWEMWBS), both validated tools, to evaluate

mental health across a diverse set of students.

The study highlights several significant findings. First, academic stress negatively correlates with

mental well-being in students, irrespective of gender, race/ethnicity, or year of study. Second,

some groups of students, particularly women and non-binary individuals, report higher academic

3
Academic Stress and Mental Well-being in College Students (Barbayannis G, Bandari M, Zheng X, Baquerizo H,
Pecor KW and Ming X (2022))-National Library of Medicine, US
 6

stress and worse mental health outcomes. In contrast, men and senior-year students exhibit

relatively better mental well-being and lower stress levels. The study suggests that academic

workload, external pressures from COVID-19, and self-perceptions of competence contribute to

these stress levels.

The survey involved 843 college students from different years of study, with a focus on gender

and race/ethnicity to identify groups particularly affected by stress. Women and non-binary

individuals reported the highest levels of academic stress, while first and second-year students

demonstrated the worst mental well-being, likely due to heavier coursework, social stress, and

underdeveloped coping mechanisms. Conversely, third- and fourth-year students, benefiting from

social networks and more effective stress-management techniques, exhibited better mental health

outcomes.

The findings align with past research, emphasizing the strong correlation between academic

stress and mental health. The study also notes the disproportionate effect of the COVID-19

pandemic on vulnerable groups. The paper recommends that universities offer targeted mental

health support, stress management workshops, and resources that cater to gender and

year-of-study-related needs​.

We could also notice a few shortcomings present in their method of analysis and report. The

study relied on a convenience sample of students recruited from Prolific, which is known to have

a bias toward young, well-educated individuals, particularly women. This skew in the sample

(80% women) limits the generalizability of the findings, particularly concerning gender-related

conclusions. While the study includes a breakdown of race and ethnicity, the sample is

disproportionately made up of white/Caucasian students (66%), and the analysis of racial/ethnic

differences in stress levels and mental well-being is underpowered due to small sub-sample sizes.
 7

This limitation prevents the study from drawing robust conclusions about the experiences of

minority groups, who may experience different levels or types of stress compared to their white

peers. The study's cross-sectional design does not capture changes in academic stress and mental

well-being over time, which are likely to evolve throughout students' academic careers. The

SWEMWBS used in this study only measures positive mental health (e.g., well-being,

happiness) but does not capture the negative aspects (e.g., depression, anxiety).

Another study, Mental Health and Academic Performance of College Students (Zhang et al.,

2024)4, examines how mental health affects academic performance in junior and senior students,

particularly in a post-COVID environment. The study used the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress

Scale (DASS) and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) to measure mental health

symptoms. Academic performance was assessed using a 12-point scale that combined various

indicators such as exam scores, coursework, and extracurricular participation.

The findings reveal a significant negative correlation between stress, anxiety, and depression

levels and academic performance, with fifth-year students exhibiting lower mental health but

better academic performance. Interestingly, while first-year students showed higher levels of

academic performance, they also reported higher levels of stress and anxiety, suggesting that

despite performing well academically, mental health struggles are more prevalent among

younger students due to adaptation stress and new academic expectations.

Zhang et al. argue that the negative effects of mental health on academic outcomes become more

apparent in higher education. Fifth-year students showed improved coping mechanisms, despite

their higher stress levels, indicating that mental health challenges might be less detrimental to

their performance compared to first-year students. The study suggests that addressing these
4
Mental Health and Academic Performance of College Students (Zhang et al., 2024)-ScienceDirect
 8

challenges through mental health interventions and academic support systems, such as peer

mentoring and online mental health resources, is crucial for fostering student success.

The study was conducted at a single university in Beijing, China, with specific cultural and

academic norms that may not be representative of other regions or educational systems. The

study does not sufficiently account for external factors beyond academic stress, such as financial

pressures, familial obligations, or social relationships, which could have a significant impact on

students' mental health. Although the study is conducted in a post-COVID context, the specific

impact of COVID-19 on students' mental health and academic performance is only briefly

mentioned. The study does not provide a thorough analysis of how the pandemic may have

altered the traditional dynamics between mental health and academic stress.

The study ‘Mental Health in College Students: Suicidal Behaviors And Well-being and its

relationship with a measure of Academic Achievement’ by Carolina Santillán T. (2016)5 was

designed at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) to check the prevalence of

psychological disorders in young people, mainly students with symptoms of depression and

those of the other that among the 381 first-year students who are studying in schools of health

and dealing with six disciplines. The aim of the study was meant to measure the mental health of

the participants using the Inventory for Suicide Risk in Adolescents (IRIS), and the Ryff Scale of

Psychological Well-Being punctuated different scales so that to test the test-taking effect in the

participants. The researcher also tried to understand so they can find the improvement, how

different aspects like sexual orientation, gender, and academic performance affect students who

feel inadequate and are at risk of becoming mentally sick.

5
Mental Health in College Students: Suicidal Behaviors And Well-being and its relationship with a measure of
Academic Achievement’ by Carolina Santillán T. (2016)- ResearchGate
 9

So, from the research, it was found that about 12% of the students tried to kill themselves at least

once. The Optometry School stated that these students showed off the most suicidal thoughts,

interpersonal difficulties, and mental health problems in comparison with students who chose

Medicine or Psychology courses. It is possible to presume that a reason behind this discrepancy

is that these students did not get the chance to do the major they wanted, which caused them not

only to be unsatisfied with their academic achievements but also to suffer from mental disorders.

Consequently, a conclusion can be made that high school students would be in a less desirable

path of learning called the MANOVA than the student's, such as Medicine or Psychology.

Moreover, the gender difference was also recorded when female students declared that they

suffered from these symptoms and behaviors at a higher rate. However, female students had

higher grade point averages than male students. This situation considers the problem of girls

creeping up on students, even though female students have a higher average. Some possible

reasons are increased stress due to strict school competition or other factors such as time.

In addition, the researchers stated that homosexual and bisexual students were less successful

academically and reported a higher level of mental health problems as compared to their

heterosexual counterparts. This data is consistent with the already existing literature, which

demonstrates that LGBTQ+ students are more prone to mental health disorders related to social

stigma, discrimination, and social support deficiency. These students also reported lower levels

of general well-being, so they are considered a particularly vulnerable group among the student

population on campus.

One pronounced existent finding of the research was related to the negative association between

well-being and suicide. The young people with high scores on the Ryff Scale of Psychological

Well-Being, which includes such factors as autonomy, environmental mastery, and personal
 10

growth, were not prone to suicidal behavior and depressive symptoms. It could be concluded that

acquiring psychological well-being via positive psychological intervention may help prevent

mental health crises.

The reviewers of this study aver that immediate attention should be concentrated on the mental

health of young college students, especially that of the vulnerable groups, among them students

not following their chosen fields, women and LGBTQ ones. Strategies like counseling and peer

support can help college students overcome mental health challenges.

This demonstration gives essential information about the intricate link between mental health and

college students' living conditions. It points out that mental health services need to cover more

than just symptoms and delve causes of mental health disorders in this group. Further

investigations are needed to be carried out that concentrate on the long-term effects of mental

health and that verify the usefulness of the clinical aimed at solving the mental health problems

of college students.

The study ‘Empirical Analysis Based on the Related Factors of College Students' Mental Health

Problems’ by Huang Zhenhua and Wang Nan (2022)6 investigates connections between various

factors that influence college students' psychological state. Based on survey answers from 350

students, the research finds that features such as gender, academic pressure, interpersonal

relationships, and individual characteristics have a great impact on mental health conditions. The

authors choose the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) and the Optimism Scale, also known as the

Optimism CCTPI, a program supported by the Institute of Stock Market to assess the students'

6
Empirical Analysis Based on the Related Factors of College Students' Mental Health Problems by Huang Zhenhua
and Wang Nan (2022)- National Library of Medicine,US
 11

psychological well-being. The findings signify that optimists and pessimists have different

beliefs when it comes to coping with stress and mental health challenges.

Optimism is a crucial component in determining the general mental health of students. This is

true for ones who score high on the optimism scale, since they have lower levels of anxiety,

depression, and other psychological distress than those who do not. Pessimistic students may

experience more pathology during high academic stress. The investigation suggests that

optimism can act as a stabilizer of psychological distress, implying that techniques focused on

creating a positive outlook on life can have a high chance for success with students about their

mental health.

The article underlines not only the influence of gender and grade on mental health outcomes,

where children in female schools were characterized by less stress than their gender counterparts.

In other cases, however, different stress levels are found in different years, with the most

significant problem being with first-year students, as they were particularly vulnerable to mental

breakdowns. This might be linked to challenges in academic and social life.

The importance of interpersonal relationships, especially peer relationships, as determinants of

mental well-being has been demonstrated. It was found that students who have strong support

networks showed positive mental health outcomes. Whereas, students who felt socially isolated

and/or had poor relationships with their peers were more likely to suffer from their mental health

problems. This study is notable in that it shows that engaging in positive social interactions can

significantly reduce stress and, at the same time, improve mental health.

The researchers used clustering methods to examine the relationship between psychological

characteristics and student behavior to get a deeper understanding of the same. By running the

clustering, researchers have distinguished the three different mental health profiles among the
 12

students: students with robust mental health, those with moderate psychological challenges, and

those at high risk of severe psychological distress. The findings confirmed that such issues were

generally faced by pupils who did not have the optimism to be successful, experienced

disconnection, and were exposed to excessive academic demands.

One of the study's implications points to universities' need for in-depth meditation to devise

effective programs for helping students deal with mental challenges. The programs should give

psychological support and harness psychological qualities such as optimism and resilience. The

interventions should be designed to be responsive to the specific needs that female and male

students, students from different years at school, and students with different personalities have,

respectively. Alongside that, the university should organize courses and provide an environment

where students can form relationships and get help from one another.

The research also highlights that self-esteem and social support mediate between optimism and

mental health. More specifically, self-esteem and perceived social support were found to be

positively associated with mental health status, thus helping to authenticate the fact that

strengthening these traits via psychological interventions is critical.

The study suggests that the topmost priority for handling the issue should be given to creating a

supporting environment for study and socializing where, through the interplay, students may

develop desirable psychological traits, universities will be the right choice for those willing to

tackle their problems and their academic and personal lives successfully.

Hypothesis: Recent years have seen a significant deterioration in the mental health of students,

comprising mainly young adults. While some cases could be due to traumatic events or even

genetics, several environmental and behavioral factors can be attributed to it. This study
 13

hypothesizes that there is a relationship between factors like taking help from a therapist, social

life, eating habits, sleep patterns and quality, physical activity, tendency to overburden, previous

scores, level of interest in their field of study, how frequently do they feel burnt out, how much

does stress affect them during an assessment.

The study will help us understand the level of the negative effect that these factors have on the

mental health of the students. The degree of the effect of each factor can be estimated through

the coefficients of an ordered probit regression model, which would be used to analyze survey

data. We believe that the data would give us a certain numeric estimate of the said relationship.

Methodology: We would conduct the study in the following manner:

1. Researching the topic and pre-survey measures: Research other scholars’ papers and work to

ensure our work’s fundamentals are clear.

2. Creating a survey: A survey would be created which would be designed to collect data

regarding the independent variables that would represent the left-hand side of the regression

equation. The questions will be designed to collect data for these factors using the Likert scale.

3. Collecting responses: We aim to collect about 100 responses from the students of Shiv Nadar

University, NCR. Their anonymity would be maintained and the students would be selected

randomly to avoid biases.

4. Running the Model: After collecting the data, and cleaning, the Ordered Probit Regression

model (as explained above) will be run. The coefficients and cut points will be given after the

analysis, which would help further analyze the strength of the relationship between the

dependent and independent variables using concepts like probability distribution.

 14

5. Analyzing the Results: We read the regressed data properly and found the scope of correlation

our variables have on Mental health.

Questionnaire and Sampling:

(a) Sample Size: The survey will be conducted amongst a minimum of 100 students, which is

the targeted sample size.

(b) Sampling details:

● Simple random probability sampling would be used, such that every student has a

positive chance of getting selected to be a part of the sample.

● Convenience sampling would also be used since the sample would be the the

students in Shiv Nadar University, all of whom would be available on the campus

grounds to help participate in the survey.

(c) Biases:

● Due to a relatively smaller sample size, the results may not be able to provide us

with a generalized or universal picture of the research question, or the model may

not converge.

● Another issue that could further escalate this bias is that post-data cleaning, the

sample size may be reduced further, rendering the results less reliable when it

comes to generalizing it.

● The sample might overall have a homogenous sample. The sample is limited to

our geographical area and institutional setting, which might affect the

generalizability of the findings, especially when considering students from

 15

different countries or universities with varied stressors, resources, and academic

expectations.

● Reliance on self-reported surveys, introduces the potential for social desirability

bias and satisficing. The students might not fully or truthfully report their stress

and well-being levels. Although the survey will be anonymized, participants may

still downplay or exaggerate their experiences to align with perceived norms or

personal expectations. The lack of objective measures, such as official academic

records or clinical assessments of mental health further compounds this issue.

● Convenience sampling has a drawback of being biased, and thus cannot be

generalized.

● There might be a presence of random error.

(d) Control of Biases:

● Convenience sampling, when combined with simple random sampling reduces the

bias, which is what we would be doing to minimize the effect of this bias.

● To minimize the result of a smaller sample pool, the purposive sampling method

of maximum variation sampling can be used, since it would take responses from a

wider variety of populations, and would be more generalized as compared to

random sampling. This however would be logistically difficult to administer,

because then the sample would have to be selected based on some initial data that

would have to be collected regarding the lifestyle of a larger number of students,

out of which a certain number of students will have to be selected to participate in

the survey. Even if this step were to be avoided, the survey administrators would

be required to make assumptions about the lifestyle of the students before taking
 16

the survey, which would again result in random errors. The correction for this bias

would therefore be beyond the scope of the project as the result of two surveys to

be conducted, and longer-term engagement of participants, who are less likely to

participate as a result of lack of incentives due to the said logistical limitations.

● To avoid complete homogeneity, our study will try its best to get responses from

students from various universities and social and economic backgrounds,

widening the bag of responses.

(e) The Questionnaire:

1. Basic personal information- Name, University, Major, Year of study, Gender,

Caste/Regionality, Current Grades

2. How many days per week do you engage in physical activities on campus, such as sports,

gym workouts, or yoga?

3. On average, how many hours do you sleep per day?

4. Have you ever visited or considered visiting a counselor or therapist on campus?

5. How many hours of counseling/therapy do you take every month?

6. On average, how many days per month do you experience feelings of burnout?

7. On a scale of 1-10 with 1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest, how satisfied are you

with your social life on campus?

8. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest, how often do you

feel you overburden yourself?

9. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest, how stressed do

you feel before or during an assessment (exam, presentation, or submission)?

 17

10. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest, how stressed do

you feel daily (underlying constant reasons for stress)?

11. On a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is the lowest and 10 is the highest, how would you rate

your interest in your chosen field of study?

12. How do your eating habits change in response to academic stress?

13. How many days in a week do you eat food from any of the outlets other than college

mess services and/or consume junk food?

14. On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is the lowest and 10 is the highest, how would you rate

your current level of anxiety?

15. On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is the lowest or not present, and 10 is the highest, how

would you rate your state of depressive feelings?

16. On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is the lowest and 10 is the highest, how satisfied are you

with your current social/ friend group and its dynamics?

17. Do you feel the urge to indulge your intrusive thoughts after performing poorly in any

assessment or graded component?

Regression Model:

The ordered probit regression model will be used for this analysis. This model is a statistical

technique applied to test the relationships between an ordinal dependent variable and one or

more independent variables.

The Dependent Variable:

 18

The dependent variable should be ordinal. Ordinal means that the categories of your ordinal

dependent variable have a natural order, but are not necessarily equidistant. Our dependent

variable will be the state of mental well-being.

The Latent Variable:

An ordered probit model assumes that there is some underlying latent variable generating these

observed ordinal outcomes. We will refer to this latent variable as Y*. Since we cannot see this

variable, we can assume that its probability is normally distributed.

The Independent Variables:

These are the variables that we believe affect the latent variable, which in turn affect the

dependent variable. We can take as many independent variables in this model as we wish to

analyze. The coefficients of these variables define how strongly they are related to the dependent

variable.

The model, therefore, would look somewhat like this:

Y∗ = β0 + β1X1 + β2X2 + ........+ βkXk + ε

Where: Y∗ is the latent variable.

Xi, X2,.,Xk are the independent variables.

Β0, Β1, …, Βk are coefficients that are estimated.

ε is an error term, which is assumed to be normally distributed.

 19

Justification of variables:

The list of independent variables that are being chosen for this study are as follows:

a) Taking help from a therapist: Taking help from a therapist can be an indicator of

poor mental health and an attempt to make the situation better. But it can also

indicate an improvement in the same as a part of a long-term effect of therapy.

b) Social life: A good support system built with the help of family and social circle

can be linked to better mental well-being of students. A poor social life on the

other hand might indicate a lack of support and help from peers to deal with

problems like stress and anxiety which might lead to long-term mental illnesses.

c) Eating habits: Good eating habits improve physical health and regulate the

hormonal levels of the body, which helps maintain good mental health. On the

other hand, poor eating habits can be a sign of poor mental health, as one of the

well-known symptoms of the same include loss of appetite. Poor eating habits can

also play a role in poor mental health as a causal factor since it leads to hormonal

imbalances, fatigue and weakness, and overall poor physical health.

d) Sleep patterns and quality: Irregular sleeping patterns negatively impact the

circadian rhythms of our body, which in turn can lead to mood disorders such as

bipolar disorder and even depression and anxiety7. This can eventually become a

vicious cycle, with poor sleep patterns becoming both a cause and an effect of

poor mental health.

7
Why your sleep and wake cycles affect your mood by Lawrence Epstien, MD- Harvard Health Blog (2020)
 20

e) Physical activity: Physical activity has benefits for mental health as it releases

endorphins, and has been linked to better cognitive functions, mood enhancement,

and decreasing stress tendencies.8 It helps keep problems like depression and

anxiety at bay.

f) Tendency to overburden: It is quite commonly observed that students who tend to

overburden themselves, that is, take on more tasks than they are physically and

mentally capable of working on, which takes a toll on their mental health as it

increases stress levels. This correlation can be drawn quite intuitively, and it

would suggest that if a person has a tendency to do so, they would put themselves

under pressure and deal with high stress levels on a regular basis, which can

eventually lead to poor mental health and even some mental health disorders.

g) Previous scores: Previous scores, if good, can be a confidence booster, if not, it

can demotivate students (can also be a motivating factor, but even from this point

of view, it can put some performance pressure on the students), and can bring

down their morale. If such situations persist for a long period of time, it can lead

to mood disorders.

h) Enjoying their field of study: A connection between interest in the field of study

and mental health can be established quite intuitively. If a student is keenly

interested in their field of study, working on these subjects would be easier as

most of it would satiate the curiosity and inquisitiveness of the student regarding

the subject. A lack of interest in the field on the other hand might make every

8
Role of Physical Activity on Mental Health and Well-Being: A Review by Aditya Mahindru- National Library of
Medicine (2023)
 21

subject, every course a burden, and the student may feel frustrated studying and

getting a grasp on the concepts. The long-term effects of such frustrations can

negatively impact the mental health of such students.

i) How frequently do they feel burnt out: Burnout is defined as a psychological

syndrome, caused by prolonged occupational stressors. Some studies have

established a relatively concrete link between burnout and mental health issues

such as depression.9 It can thus be said that a person who suffers from burnout

quite frequently might be more prone to mental health disorders as a long-term

effect of the same.

j) How much does stress affect them during an assessment: An increase in stress

levels during an assessment might directly impact their performance in it, and

frequent surges in such stress levels negatively impact mental health and cause

mood disorders. A subconscious relationship that a student might establish

between assessment and stress is not a healthy pattern, since it would cause these

surges in stress whenever a student appears for an assessment and might set off a

chain reaction of poor performance due to stress, which might depreciate the

mental health further.

Each of these variables has been chosen as a result of numerous research papers and articles,

linking these factors to poor mental health.

Cutpoints or Tau-Cuts:

The latent variable is then divided into ordered categories using cutpoints, or thresholds. The

cutpoints are the boundaries for the different categories of the dependent variable. For instance,
9
Burnout and depression in college students by Xianyang Wang- ScienceDirect (2024)
 22

if there are three categories, there will be two cutpoints, for the boundary between the first and

second, and the second and third categories.

The Estimation of the Model:

The model is typically estimated using Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE). The likelihood

function is constructed based on the probabilities of observing the different outcomes given the

independent variables and the estimated cutpoints.

Interpreting the Results:

After estimation of the model, we will obtain coefficients for the independent variables and the

cutpoints (tau-cuts). The coefficients reflect the direction and strength of the relationship by each

independent variable with the latent variable. However, given that in this case the dependent

variable is ordinal in nature, the coefficients do not represent an effect for changing the observed

categories. Instead, you can derive marginal effects to understand how changes in the

independent variables affect the probabilities of being in each category of the dependent variable.

Expected results:

We can expect a range of coefficients that reflect both positive and negative correlations.

Considering counseling is likely to show a positive coefficient ranging from 0.3 to 0.8, as

students seeking support often experience improved well-being. Satisfaction with social life

might exhibit a stronger positive effect, with a coefficient between 0.5 and 1.2, since positive

social interactions enhance emotional health.

 23

However, eating habits could have a more nuanced effect; while healthy eating is expected to

show a positive coefficient of 0.1 to 0.5, poor eating habits might result in a negative coefficient

of -0.2 to -0.5, reflecting the detrimental impact of poor nutrition on mental health.

Similarly, sleep patterns and quality are anticipated to have a significant impact, with a positive

coefficient between 0.6 and 1.5 for good sleep quality, but a negative effect ranging from -0.4 to

-1.0 for sleep deprivation, as insufficient sleep can lead to increased stress and lower mental

well-being.Physical activity is also expected to yield a positive coefficient of 0.4 to 1.0 for

regular exercise, but a negative coefficient of -0.3 to -0.6 for students who lack adequate physical

activity, as inactivity can contribute to feelings of lethargy and poor mental health.

On the negative side, tendency to overburden is likely to have a negative coefficient between -0.6

and -1.0, reflecting the harmful effects of excessive workload. Previous scores could show a

small positive coefficient of 0.1 to 0.4 for high performance, but if performance is poor, it may

have a negative coefficient ranging from -0.2 to -0.6, indicating stress from low academic

achievement. Interest in the field of study should have a positive coefficient of 0.3 to 0.9, while

a lack of interest could lead to a negative effect ranging from -0.3 to -0.7.

Frequency of burnout is expected to have a strong negative correlation, with a coefficient

between -0.7 and -1.2, and stress levels during assessments are likely to produce a negative

coefficient ranging from -0.4 to -0.9, as higher stress levels negatively impact mental well-being.

Overall, these coefficient ranges reflect the complexities of how each variable influences student

mental health, assuming for both positive and negative effects.

Policy Relevance:
 24

To enhance student well-being, mental health services could be seamlessly integrated into

university frameworks. By embedding mental health assessments and counseling directly within

the academic structure, universities could more effectively provide regular check-ins and offer

support specifically tailored to managing stress. Addressing key stressors, such as heavy

workloads and performance pressures, is essential to prevent these issues from negatively

impacting students' academic success.

Universities could actively promote stress management workshops that equip students with

effective coping strategies, helping them manage academic and personal pressures. These

workshops could foster resilience and contribute to a healthier learning environment.

Moreover, universities could revise their policies to promote an inclusive and supportive learning

atmosphere that values diversity. One effective approach could be reducing unnecessary

academic competition, which often exacerbates stress. Instead, universities could cultivate a

culture of co-learning, where students are encouraged to collaborate and learn from one another

rather than compete. This shift could foster a sense of community and belonging, enabling

students to perform at their best without the added pressure of rivalry.

Additionally, universities could adopt flexible policies to accommodate the diverse needs of

students. For instance, rolling deadlines and individualized learning models could provide

students with more autonomy and reduce stress. These approaches would allow students to tailor

their educational experiences, helping them navigate academic challenges more effectively

without feeling constrained by rigid requirements.