Prevalence and variables associated with depression, anxiety, and stress among Chilean higher education students, post-pandemic.

Background: Mental health among university students is a public health problem in Chile, understanding that this population is susceptible to mental disorders. Objective: The present study aimed to determine the prevalence and variables influencing depression, anxiety, and stress in Chilean university students. Method: A representative sample (n = 1,062) of Chilean university students and a cross-sectional study design were used. Bivariate analysis and multiple logistic regression were performed to identify risk factors associated with symptomatology. They were analyzed using descriptive statistics. A questionnaire with sociodemographic variables was applied in November 2022, in addition to the depression anxiety stress scale (DASS-21), instruments with excellent reliability in this population (α = 0.955; ω = 0.956). On the other hand, the Questionnaire of Problematic Alcohol and Drug Consumption (DEP-ADO) was applied. A descriptive analysis was performed, followed by bivariate analysis and multiple logistic regression using SPSS version 25. The variables showed a value of p <0.05; they were declared statistically significant in the final model. Odds ratios (OR) were adjusted to a 95% confidence interval (95% CI), which was used to determine the independent predictors. Results: The prevalence of mental health problems in this population was high, with depressive symptoms in 63.1% of the sample; 69.2% with anxiety; 57% with stress; 27.4% with problematic alcohol consumption; and 14.9% with inappropriate marijuana consumption. Some 10.1% of the sample reported daily medication with antidepressants and/or anxiolytics. Concerning significant variables for depression, these were: being female, belonging to sexual, not having children, having problematic marijuana use, and using prescription drugs. Concerning anxiety, the significant variables were being a woman, belonging to sexual minorities, being an adolescent, and consuming prescription medication. Finally, concerning stress, the significant variables were being a woman, belonging to sexual minorities, being a student dedicated exclusively to academic activities, and taking prescription medication. Conclusion: Chilean university students presented a high prevalence of anxiety, depression, and stress, where being female and belonging to sexual minorities seem to be the variables that have the greatest impact on susceptibility to mental health problems. These results should call the attention of political and university authorities in Chile to improve this population's mental health and quality of life since they are the following professional generation of our country.

Emotional Exhaustion Variables in Trainee Teachers during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: emotional exhaustion among trainee teachers is a relevant topic since it could have repercussions regarding the lives of their future pupils. Our objective was to determine the degree of trainee teachers' emotional exhaustion and associated variables during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: the design was cross-sectional and descriptive. Questionnaires with sociodemographic variables, perceptions of mental health, and the Emotional Exhaustion Scale (ECE) (α = 0.890; ω = 0.893) validated for the Chilean context were answered by 204 trainee teachers. The results were analyzed using SPSS software version 25 and the Emotional Exhaustion Interpretation Table (EES-Int). RESULTS: the results show that 92.2% of the trainee teachers presented a worsening in their mental health, stress (66.2%), irritability (38.2%), anxiety (37.7%), and depressive symptoms (32.8%). Online classes (73.04%) and the pandemic (67.6%) were the main influencing factors. Education students who perceived their mental health had worsened became 6.63 times more likely to develop emotional exhaustion [AOR = 6.63; 95% CI: 1.78, 24.69]. In addition, education students with a high perception of academic stress were 7.45 more likely to develop emotional exhaustion [AOR = 7.45; 95% CI: 1.98, 28.09]. CONCLUSION: we can conclude that trainee teachers have high levels of emotional exhaustion and their perception of their mental health and the academic stress they are being subjected to during the COVID-19 pandemic may lead them to present symptoms of frequent or permanent problems with concentration, attention, recall of information, dissatisfaction with their performance, and frequent learning difficulties. From the affective dimension, they present frequent or permanent anxiety, restlessness, irritability, indifference, low mood, and psychomatization. From the socio-interactional dimension, they present frequent or permanent social withdrawal, interpersonal problems, problems at work or school, and family and relationship problems. Increasing the sample to delve into emotional exhaustion by subject area is necessary. For future studies, research should be conducted on the causes of emotional exhaustion by subject area and the coping strategies of trainee teachers to understand differences and provide input on emotional support in practice.

Psychometric properties of the Collective Efficacy Scale Short-Form in Chilean teachers.

Background: The Collective Efficacy Scale Short-Form (CES-SF) is a short and reliable instrument that assesses collective efficacy in schools at a group level. Previous research has shown a two-factor structure considering the perception of the group competence about their teaching capabilities and task analysis that refers to the opportunities inherent to a specific task. However, there is no conclusive evidence that collective efficacy corresponds to a two-factor model or single-factor structure. Methods: A cross-sectional research was conducted on a 693 sample of teachers (M age = 39.4; SD = 11.8) from schools in the 16 regions of Chile. They were assessed using the CES-SF, Personal Well-being Index, Social Well-Being Scale, and satisfaction with the school. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to assess the construct validity of the CES-SF. Results: The CES-SF showed mixed results about its construct validity. Best fit has been found to retain two new factors (opportunities and challenges for collective efficacy) with eight items each, yielding a McDonald's ω of 0.803. Convergent validity was also established. Conclusion: The psychometric results suggest that a two-factor structure for the CES-SF is a valid and reliable measure for this construct for Chilean teachers. However, collective efficacy might not strongly relate to subjective wellbeing but to school-context variables.

Perceived Collective School Efficacy Mediates the Organizational Justice Effect in Teachers' Subjective Well-Being.

Trust and team communication are central aspects for the achievement of both individual and common goals, which affect not only work efficiency but also the well-being of its members. In addition, organizational justice could affect these indicators, as well as the perception of collective efficacy within organizations, in this case, schools. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of organizational justice on teachers' subjective well-being, and how this is affected/mediated by collective efficacy. We worked with a sample of 693 teachers across Chile. Multiple mediation analysis was carried out, where the latent variables of the study were estimated (subjective well-being, organizational justice, and two dimensions of collective efficacy). The results indicate that there is full mediation of the collective efficacy dimensions between the predictor-criterion relationship. Our findings allow us to hypothesize that perceptions of collective efficacy are central to explaining well-being as an intrinsic factor.

Psychometric Properties of the Emotional Exhaustion Scale (ECE) in Chilean Higher Education Students.

The main objective of this study was to estimate the psychometric properties of the Emotional Fatigue Scale (ECE) in a sample of 1308 Chilean university students and confirm the unifactorial structure of the scale. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were carried out. The ECE assessment had an internal consistency of 0.893 (Cronbach's Alpha). An exploratory factor analysis with Varimax rotation and a confirmatory analysis were performed, obtaining the factor that explains 52.3% of the variance. The results indicated that the ECE has adequate psychometric properties for use with higher education students in Chile. The ECE scale has good psychometric properties to be applied in the Chilean university context. Its usage may be very relevant to contribute to higher education institutions to emphasize students' mental health and prevent possible severe pathologies in future professionals. It is suggested to use the ECE scale together with the EES-Int, which is the only interpretation table for this instrument.

Emotional Exhaustion and Mental Health in a Sample of Chilean Social Science Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract Emotional exhaustion and mental health in university students are a public health problem given the harmful repercussions they have on their quality of life and the possible future consequences, even more so if in the academic period the students are affected by a pandemic like COVID -19. This research aimed to determine the presence and degree of emotional exhaustion and its possible repercussions on mental health in social science students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The design was descriptive and cross-sectional, and a questionnaire was used with sociodemographic variables, perception of the affectation of mental health, and the scale of emotional exhaustion (ECE). The results were that a high percentage of 90.2% reported a worsening of their mental health with the presentation of stress symptoms (64.1%), sensitivity (41%), anxiety/distress (39.7%), irritability (39.4%), and depressive symptoms (34.9%). The influencing factors were the pandemic (61.9%), confinement and social distancing (47.3%), economic problems (41.6%), and the news (23.8%). In addition, a high (65.7%); medium (29.2%) and low (5.1%) emotional exhaustion. We can conclude that social sciences students find themselves with high degrees of emotional exhaustion and a perception of a great deterioration in their mental health. These results should call our attention to continue studying the mental health consequences of COVID-19 to prevent possible mental pathologies in the future.