Mental Well-Being of Czech University Students: Academic Motivation, Self-Compassion, and Self-Criticism

Kotera, Yasuhiro; Maybury, Sarah; Liu, Gillian; Colman, Rory; Lieu, Jenai; Dosedlová, Jaroslava

Abstract

University students in the Czech Republic suffer from a low level of mental well-being. Research in other university student populations suggests that academic motivation, self-compassion, and self-criticism are strongly related to mental well-being. Students who are motivated to study, are kind toward themselves, and are less judgmental of themselves tend to have a high level of mental well-being. These relationships had not been evaluated in Czech students. Accordingly, this cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the relationships between mental well-being, academic motivation (intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and amotivation), self-compassion (self-reassurance) and self-criticism (self-inadequacy and self-hate). Of 130 students approached, a convenience sampling of 119 psychology students at a university in the Czech Republic completed a survey regarding these constructs. Correlation, regression, and path analyses were conducted. Mental well-being was positively associated with intrinsic motivation and self-compassion, and negatively associated with amotivation and self-criticism. Self-compassion was identified as the strongest predictor of mental well-being. Lastly, intrinsic motivation mediated the pathway from self-compassion to mental well-being, but not the one from self-inadequacy to mental well-being, and the one from self-hate to mental well-being. Our findings can help educators to identify effective means to protect students’ mental well-being. Cultivating students’ self-compassion may be helpful to protect their mental well-being. University staff and educators in the Czech Republic need to consider ways to embed self-compassion training into their students’ programmes or university life.

Citation

Kotera, Y., Maybury, S., Liu, G., Colman, R., Lieu, J., & Dosedlová, J. (2022). Mental Well-Being of Czech University Students: Academic Motivation, Self-Compassion, and Self-Criticism. Healthcare, 10(11), Article 2135. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10112135

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Oct 24, 2022
• Online Publication Date: Oct 27, 2022
• Publication Date: 2022-11
• Deposit Date: Nov 3, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 4, 2022
• Journal: Healthcare
• Electronic ISSN: 2227-9032
• Publisher: MDPI
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 10
• Issue: 11
• Article Number: 2135
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10112135
• Keywords: Health Information Management; Health Informatics; Health Policy; Leadership and Management
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/12902316
• Publisher URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/10/11/2135