Abstract
While the mental health of university students has been undergoing challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, few studies have adopted a comprehensive framework to investigate the status of psychological well-being of university students in Hong Kong. To address the research gap, this chapter answers several research questions: 1) what is the status of positive and negative psychological well-being in university students under the pandemic? 2) what are the risk and protective factors of psychological well-being in the ecological system? 3) what are the roles of university service-related factors in the psychological well-being of university students? 4) is students’ psychological well-being different at different stages of the pandemic? This study analysed and consolidated data from three questionnaire surveys (total N = 3,646) conducted during different periods of the pandemic. Validated measures were adopted to assess different indicators of psychological well-being and different risk and protective factors in the ecological system, including pandemic-related factors, intrapersonal and interpersonal factors, and service- related factors. Descriptive analyses revealed a higher level of negative mental health in university students. Comparison between different surveys showed that there were improvements in students’ psychological well-being in the late stage of the pandemic. Structural equation modelling showed that COVID-19 self-efficacy, positive psychological attributes, positive environmental factors, as well as students’ satisfaction with university services, were protective factors for well-being. In contrast, COVID-19 related stress and difficulties encountered during the pandemic were risk factors for well-being. This study advances understanding of the psychological well-being of university students under the pandemic. It highlights the importance of promoting intrapersonal and interpersonal protective factors and the quality of university services for protecting the psychological well-being of university students under the pandemic.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Hong Kong and China: Promotion of Holistic Development in Young People Under the Service Economy |
| Editors | Daniel TL SHEK, Xiaoqin ZHU, Xiang LI, Diya DOU, Joav MERRICK |
| Place of Publication | New York |
| Publisher | Nova Science Publishers, Inc. |
| Chapter | 8 |
| Pages | 157-194 |
| Number of pages | 38 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9798895307946 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9798895307472 |
| Publication status | Published - Aug 2025 |
Publication series
| Name | Public Health: Practices, Methods and Policies |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Nova Science Publishers, Inc. |
Bibliographical note
This chapter is based on a paper published in a special issue in the International Journal of Child Health and Human Development 2024;17(3).Funding
Our research was financially supported by the Li and Fung Endowed Professorship in Service Leadership Education, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (ZZ4U, WZ8A, and ZZUE), and Tin Ka Ping Foundation.
