How Perceiving Threat while Feeling Burnt-Out and Lonely Impacts Your Mental Stress and Well-Being

Presenter

Amanda Kate Pollicelli

Group Members

Christina Lee Howland, Brendan J. Castle

Campus

Worcester State University

Sponsor

Champika Soysa, Department of Psychology, Worcester State University

Schedule

Session 1, 10:30 AM - 11:15 AM [Schedule by Time][Poster Grid for Time/Location]

Location

Poster Board A89, Campus Center Auditorium, Row 5 (A81-A100) [Poster Location Map]

Abstract

   Mental distress among 18-29 year-olds in the U.S. early in the COVID-19 Pandemic in September 2020, were similar to levels reported 2.5 years later in September 2022 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020;2022). In this light, identifying psychological processes associated with mental stress and wellbeing would be useful. Appraising life events as threatening, burnout (e.g., emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and personal-efficacy), and loneliness were investigated in relation to mental stress and wellbeing among 376 undergraduates at a public university in late Fall 2022. This study investigated psychological mechanisms that could account for how appraising events as threatening predicts mental stress and wellbeing. We examined potential gender differences in whether emotional exhaustion, cynicism, personal-efficacy, and loneliness accounted for the relationship between threat appraisal and mental stress and wellbeing. A quasi-experimental complex correlational methodology was used to address this question. 

       Emotional exhaustion and loneliness, as well as personal-efficacy for men, but not cynicism, fully accounted for the relationship between threat appraisal and mental wellbeing. On the other hand, emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and loneliness, but not personal-efficacy, partially accounted for the relationship between threat appraisal and mental stress. This study differentiated between psychological processes that predict mental stress from those that predict mental wellbeing. These findings could inform targeted interventions to prevent or decrease mental distress in college students. Lastly, post-hoc analyses revealed that emotional exhaustion, but not personal-efficacy, was significantly higher in public university students in Fall 2022 than among private university students in Spring 2020. 

Keywords

Burnout, Loneliness, Threat appraisal , Stress, Wellbeing

Research Area

Psychology and Behavioral Sciences

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