Research for Inclusive STEM Education Center, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America.
PLoS One. 2022 Jun 1;17(6):e0269201. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269201. eCollection 2022.
Depression is a top mental health concern among college students, yet there is a lack of research exploring how online college science courses can exacerbate or alleviate their depression. We surveyed 2,175 undergraduates at a large research-intensive institution about the severity of their depression in large-enrollment online science courses. The survey also explored aspects of online science courses that exacerbate or alleviate depression and we used regression analyses to assess whether demographics predicted responses. Over 50% of undergraduates reported experiencing depression and LGBTQ+ students, financially unstable students, and lower division students were more likely to experience severe rather than mild depression compared to their counterparts. Students reported difficulty building relationships and struggling to perform well online as aspects of online science courses that exacerbated their depression and the flexible nature of online courses and caring instructors as aspects of online courses that alleviated their depression. This study provides insight into how instructors can create more inclusive online learning environments for students with depression.
抑郁是大学生最关注的心理健康问题之一，但目前缺乏研究探讨在线大学科学课程如何加重或减轻他们的抑郁。我们调查了一所大型研究型机构的 2175 名本科生，了解他们在大型在线科学课程中抑郁的严重程度。该调查还探讨了加重或减轻抑郁的在线科学课程的各个方面，我们使用回归分析来评估人口统计学是否可以预测反应。超过 50%的本科生报告说经历了抑郁，与同龄人相比， LGBTQ+学生、经济不稳定的学生和低年级学生更有可能经历严重而不是轻度的抑郁。学生们报告说，在线建立关系和努力表现困难是在线科学课程加重他们抑郁的方面，而在线课程的灵活性和关怀的教师是减轻他们抑郁的方面。这项研究提供了一些见解，说明教师如何为患有抑郁的学生创建更具包容性的在线学习环境。
