Psychological Inflexibility, Ruminative Thinking, Worry and Self- Compassion in Relation to College Adjustment

Öz

The mental health of college students has received more attention due to the increase in psychological distress starting from the beginning of university life. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is one of the third wave Cognitive Behavioral approaches, focuses on behavior change by emphasizing acceptance and awareness with its core concept of psychological inflexibility. This study aimed to investigate the role of psychological inflexibility, rumination, worry, and self-compassion on college adjustment within a path analysis by implementing structural equation modeling. 657 (486 female, 171 male) freshman students at a state university participated in the study. In terms of data collection tools, The University Life Scale, Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II, the Ruminative Thought Style Questionnaire, The Penn State Worry Questionnaire, and The Self-Compassion Scale were used. The results indicated that psychological inflexibility significantly predicted students’ self-compassion, rumination, worry, and college adjustment levels. On the other hand, the results also revealed that while self-compassion significantly predicted college adjustment, rumination and worry levels did not significantly predict the college adjustment of freshman students. The discussions and implications of the study were presented, as well as suggestions for further studies.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Psychological Inflexibility
• College Adjustment
• Self- Compassion
• Rumination
• worry

Psikolojik Katılık, Ruminatif Düşünme, Endişe ve Öz- Şefkatin Üniversiteye Uyum ile İlişkisi

Öz

Üniversitenin ilk yıllarından itibaren artan psikolojik zorluklardan dolayı üniversite öğrencilerinin ruh sağlığı daha fazla ilgi görmeye başlamıştır. Üçüncü dalga bilişsel davranışçı yaklaşımlardan birisi olan Kabul ve Kararlılık Terapisi (KKT), temel kavramı olan psikolojik esneklik ile davranış değişimine kabul ve farkındalık boyutuyla odaklanmaktadır. Bu çalışma psikolojik esneklik/katılık, ruminatif düşünme, endişe ve öz-şefkatin üniversiteye uyum üzerindeki rolünü yol analizi kullanarak yapısal eşitlik modellemesi ile araştırmayı amaçlamıştır. Bu araştırmaya bir devlet üniversitesinde birinci sınıfta öğrenim görmekte olan 657 (486 kadın, 171 erkek) öğrenci katılmıştır. Araştırmada ver toplama araçları olarak, Üniversite Yaşam Ölçeği, Kabul ve Eylem Formu-II, Ruminatif Düşünme Stili Ölçeği, Penn Eyalet Endişe Ölçeği, Öz-Şefkat Ölçeği kullanılmıştır. Araştırmanın bulguları psikolojik esneklik/katılığın öğrencilerin öz-şefkat, ruminatif düşünme, endişe ve üniversiteye uyum düzeylerini anlamlı bir şekilde yordadığını ortaya koymuştur. Diğer taraftan, bulgular ayrıca öz- şefkatin üniversiteye uyumu anlamlı bir şekilde yordadığını ancak rumiantif düşünme ve endişenin üniversiteye uyumu anlamlı olarak yordamadığını ortaya koymuştur. Bu araştırmaya dair tartışma, sonuç ve gelecek çalışmalara dair öneriler sunulmuştur.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Psikolojik esneklik
• üniversiteye uyum
• öz şefkat
• ruminatif düşünme
• endişe

Kaynakça

1. Akın, Ü., Akın, A., & Abacı, R. (2007). Öz-duyarlılık Ölçeği: Geçerlik ve güvenirlik çalışması. Self-compassion scale: The study of validity and reliability. Hacettepe Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 33, 1-10
2. Aladağ, M., Kağnıcı, D. Y., Tuna, M. E., & Tezer, E. (2003). Üniversite yaşamı ölçeği: Ölçek geliştirme ve yapı geçerliliği üzerine bir çalışma. Turkish Psychological Counseling and Guidance Journal, 2(20).
3. Bentler, P. M., & Yuan, K. H. (1999). Structural equation modeling with small samples: Test statistics. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 34(2), 181-197. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327906Mb340203
4. Blanco, C., Okuda, M., Wright, C., Hasin, D. S., Grant, B. F., Liu, S. M., & Olfson, M. (2008). Mental health of college students and their non-college-attending peers results from the national epidemiologic study on alcohol and related conditions. Archives of General Psychiatry, 65(12), 1429-1437. https://doi.org/: 10.1001/archpsyc.65.12.1429
5. Bluth, K., & Blanton, P. W. (2014). Mindfulness and self-compassion: Exploring pathways to adolescent emotional well-being. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 23(7), 1298-1309. https://doi.org/ 10.1007/s10826-013-9830-2.
6. Bond, F. W., Hayes, S. C., Baer, R. A., Carpenter, K. M., Guenole, N., Orcutt, H. K., Zettle, R. D. (2011). Preliminary psychometric properties of the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II: A Revised measure of psychological inflexibility and experiential avoidance. Behavior Therapy, 42(4), 676-688. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2011.03.007.
7. Brandy, J. M., Penckofer, S., Solari-Twadell, P.A., & Velsor-Friedrich, B. (2015). Factors predictive of depression in first-year college students. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services. 53 (2), 38-44. https://doi.org/ 10.3928/02793695-20150126-03.
8. Brinker, J. K., & Dozois, D. J. A. (2009). Ruminative thought style and depressed mood. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 65(1), 1-19. https://doi.org/: 10.1002/Jclp.20542

9. Brooks, J. H., & Dubois, D. L. (1995). Individual and environmental predictors of adjustment during the first year of college. Journal of College Student Development, 36(4), 347-360.
10. Buote, V. M., Pancer, S. M., Pratt, M. V., Adams, G., Birnie-Lefcovitch, S., Polivy, J., & Wintre, M. G. (2007). The Importance of friends: Friendship and adjustment among 1st-year university students. Journal of Adolescent Research, 22(6). https://doi.org/10.1177/0743558407306344.
11. Clinciu, A. (2013). Adaptation and stress for the first-year university students. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 78, 718-722. https://doi.org/: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.04.382 Crede, M., & Niehorster, S. (2012). Adjustment to college as measured by the student adaptation questionnaire: A quantitative review of its structure and relationships with correlates and consequences. Educational Psychology Review. 24 (1), 133-165. https://doi.org/ 10.1007/s10648-011-9184-5.
12. Crosby, J. M., Armstrong, A. B., Nafziger, M. A., & Twohig, M. P. (2013). Using acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) to treat perfectionism in college students. In P. Jacqueline (Ed.), Mindfulness and acceptance for counseling college students: theory and practical applications for intervention, prevention, and outreach. New Harbinger.
13. De-Chen, J. (2009). Understanding Depression Among First-Semester College Students: The Predictive Power of Perfectionism, Rumination, and Self-Esteem [Unpublished Doctoral Thesis, University of South Carolina]. https://search.proquest.com/docview/304996149?pq-origsite=gscholar&fromopenview=true
14. Dindo, L., Van Liew, J. R., & Arch, J. J. (2017). Acceptance and commitment therapy: A transdiagnostic behavioral intervention for mental health and medical conditions. Neurotherapeutics. 14(3), 546-553. https://doi.org/ 101007/s13311-017-0521-3.
15. Fledderus, M., Bohlmeijer, E. T., Pieterse, M. E., & Schreurs, K. M. G. (2012). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as guided self-help for psychological distress and positive mental health: A randomized controlled trial. Psychological Medicine, 42(3), 485-495. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291711001206.
16. Flett, G. L., Madorsky, D., Hewitt, P. L., & Heisel, M. J. (2002). Perfectionism cognitions, rumination, and psychological distress. Journal of Rational-Emotive and Cognitive- Behavior Therapy. 20 (1), 33-47. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015128904007.
17. Forman, E. M., Herbert, J. D., Moitra, E., Yeomans, P. D., & Geller, P. A. (2007). A randomized controlled effectiveness trial of acceptance and commitment therapy and cognitive therapy for anxiety and depression. Behavior Modification, 31(6),772-799. https://doi.org/10.1177/0145445507302202.
18. Fresco, D. M., Frankel, A. N., Mennin, D. S., Turk, C. L., & Heimberg, R. G. (2002). Distinct and overlapping features of rumination and worry: The relationship of cognitive production to negative affective states. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 26(2), 179-188. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014517718949
19. Gilbert, P. (2014). Mindful compassion: How the science compassion can help you understand your emotions, live in the present, and connect deeply with others. New Harbinger. Halamandaris, K. F., & Power, K. G. (1999). Individual differences, social support and coping with the examination stress: A study of the psychosocial and academic adjustment of first-year home students. Personality and Individual Differences, 26(4), 665-685. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0191-8869(98)00172-X.
20. Hall, C. W., Row, K. A., Wuensch, K. L., & Godley, K. R. (2013). The role of self-compassion in physical and psychological well-being. The journal of Psychology. 147(4), 311-323. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223980.2012.693138.
21. Hayes, S. C., & Smith, S. (2005). Get out of your mind into your life. The New Harbinger.
22. Hayes, S. C., Barnes- Holmes, D., & Wilson, K. G. (2012). Contextual behavioral science: Creating a science more adequate to the challenge of the human condition. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science. 1 (1,2), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2012.09.004. Hayes, S. C., Strosahl, K. D., & Wilson, K. G. (2012). Acceptance and commitment therapy: the process and practice of mindful change. Guilford Press.
23. Hoff, E.R., & Muehlenkamp, J. J. (2009). Non-suicidal self-injury in college students: The role of perfectionism and rumination. 39 (6). 576-587. https://doi.org/10.1521/suli.2009.39.6.576.
24. James, D. (2013). Associations among self-compassion, stress, and eating behavior in college freshmen. [Unpublished Master Thesis, Arizona State University]. https://repository.asu.edu/items/18061.
25. Johnston, B. (2010). The first year at university teaching students in transition (1st ed.). McGraw Hill.
26. Karatepe, H., Yavuz, F., & Turkcan, A. (2013). Ruminatif düşünme biçimi ölçeğinin Türkçe geçerlik ve güvenirliği. Bulletin of Clinical Psychopharmacology, 1. https://doi.org/10.5455/bcp.20121130122311.
27. Kline, R. B. (2011). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.
28. Lamis, D. A., & Dvorak, R. D. (2014). Mindfulness, nonattachment, and suicide rumination in college students: The mediating role of depressive symptoms. Mindfulness, 5(5), 487-496. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-013-0203-0
29. Levin, M. E., Lillis, J., Seeley, J., Hayes, S. C., Pistorello, J., & Biglan, A. (2012). Exploring the relationship between experiential avoidance, alcohol use disorders, and alcohol-related problems among first-year college students. Journal of American College Health, 60(6), 443-448. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2012.673522
30. Levin, M. E., Pistorello, J., Seeley, J. R., & Hayes, S. C. (2014). Feasibility of a prototype web-based acceptance and commitment therapy prevention program for college students. Journal of American College Health, 62(1), 20-30. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2013.843533
31. MacCallum, R. C., Browne, M. W., & Sugawara, H. M. (1996). Power analysis and determination of sample size for covariance structure modeling. Psychological Methods, 1(2), 130-149. https://doi.org/10.1037/1082-989x.1.2.130.
32. Martin, L. L., Tesser, A., (1996). Some ruminative thoughts. In R.S. Wyer (Ed.), Advances in Social Cognition. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
33. Masuda, A., & Tully, E. C. (2011). The role of mindfulness and psychological flexibility in somatization, depression, anxiety, and general psychological distress in a nonclinical college sample. Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine, 17(1), 66-71. https://doi.org/10.1177/2156587211423400
34. Meyer, T. J., Miller, M. L., Metzger, R. L., & Borkovec, T. D. (1990). Development and validation of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 28(6), 487-495. https://doi.org/10.1016/0005-7967(90)90135-6.
35. Neff, K. (2011). The proven power of being kind to yourself: Self-compassion. Harper Collins.
36. Neff, K. D. (2003a). The development and validation of a scale to measure self-compassion. Self and Identity, 2(3), 223-250. https://doi.org/10.1080/15298860309027.
37. Neff, K. D., & McGehee, P. (2010). Self-compassion and psychological resilience among adolescents and young adults. Self and Identity, 9(3), 225-240. https://doi.org/10.1080/15298860902979307
38. Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (1998). The other end of the continuum: The costs of rumination. Psychological Inquiry, 9(3), 216-219. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327965pli0903_5
39. Paolini, L., Yanez, A., & Kelly, W. E. (2006). An examination of worry and life satisfaction among college students. Individual Differences Research, 4(5), 331-339.
40. Sasaki, M., & Yamasaki, K. (2007). Stress coping and the adjustment process among university freshmen. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 20(1), 51-67. https://doi.org/10.1080/09515070701219943.
41. Segerstrom, S. C., Tsao, J. C. I., Alden, L. E., & Craske, M. G. (2000). Worry and rumination: Repetitive thought as a concomitant and predictor of negative mood. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 24(6), 671-688. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005587311498
42. Skala, K., Kapusta, N. D., Schlaff, G., Unseld, M., Erfurth, A., Lesch, O. M., & Akiskal, H. S. (2012). Suicidal ideation and temperament: An investigation among college students. Journal of Affective Disorders, 141(2-3), 399-405. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2012.03.010
43. Smith, J. M. & Alloy, L. B. (2009). A roadmap to rumination: A review of the definition, assessment, and conceptualization of this multifaceted construct. Clinical Psychology Review. 29 (2). 116-128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2008.10.003.
44. Tabachnick, B. G., & Fidell, L. S. (2007). Using multivariate statistics (4th ed.). Allyn and Bacon.
45. Tao, S., Dong, Q., Pratt, M. W., Hunsberger, B., & Pancer, S. M. (2000). Social support: relations to coping and adjustment to university in the People’s Republic of China. Journal of College Student Development, 37, 149-162. https://doi.org/10.1177/0743558400151007.
46. Terry, M. L., Leary, M. R., & Mehta, S. (2013). Self-compassion as a buffer against homesickness, depression, and dissatisfaction in the transition to college. Self and Identity, 12(3), 278-290. https://doi.org/10.1080/15298868.2012.667913.
47. Thurber, C. A., & Walton, E. A. (2012). Homesickness and adjustment in university students. Journal of American College Health, 60(5). https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2012.673520.
48. Tinto, V. (1996). Reconstructing the first year of college. Planning for Higher Education, 25(1).
49. Upcraft, M. L., Gardner, J. N., & Barefoot, B. O. (2005). Challenging and supporting the first-year student: A handbook for improving the first year of college. John Wiley and Sons.
50. Williams, J. G., Stark, S. K., & Foster, E. E. (2008). Start today or the very last day? The relationships among self-compassion, motivation, and procrastination. American Journal of Psychological Research, 4(1), 37-44.
51. Zawadzki, M. J., Graham, J. E., & Gerin, W. (2013). Rumination and anxiety mediate the effect of loneliness on depressed mood and sleep quality in college students. Health Psychology, 32(2), 212-222. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0029007