METHODOLOGY
Research question
Research Design and Sampling
The collection of data was conducted using a cross-sectional online survey. The requirements for participation were: students must be 18 years of age or older and must have enrolled in college in the Fall of 2019. The Florida A & M University Institutional Review Board approval letter can be found in Appendix A. The surveys were administered online after informed consent was e-mailed to the students. The consent form entailed information about the study (nature of the study and risks) and its significance. It also contained the contact information of the chief researcher and assured the students that confidentiality and anonymity would be observed during the study. The informed consent form can be found in Appendix B. Moreover, an alteration of the consent form was also included, given the signatory requirements of the traditional consent form. However, since the survey was conducted online, students were required to submit their consent forms in a digital form electronically.
The research study employed convenience sampling and the surveys were sent to Florida A & M University students in the Fall of 2019. The research study selected the sample since it had two-fold characteristics that made it suitable. First, the freshmen and sophomore students are considered a vulnerable population at Florida A & M University, as many of these students display signs of depression. Second, information on the academic impact of depression on freshmen and sophomore students is currently limited; hence this study can provide insight into the students. The results of this study can be vital for the program director, student advisors and other interested constituencies. A total of 350 surveys were administered to various freshmen and sophomore students across campus. The response was 28.86% with 101 students completing the survey.
Data Collection
Before data collection was initiated, an application was submitted to the Florida A & M University International Review Board (IRB) for review. After the approval of the International Review Board (IRB), the e-mail addresses of the students were accessed upon request from the dean of students at Florida A & M University. A link for the survey was then sent to the respective e-mail addresses. The e-mail contained an invitation to become a participant in the research study. The study utilized blind carbon copy (bcc) to conceal the identity of the students hence ensuring confidentiality among the students. The online survey was disseminated via the Florida A & M University e-mail through a link. The survey was formulated using Google Forms. It encapsulated various demographic questions on age, gender, race, and classification (faculty or school). The study also employed additional items to measure depression. These items include Depression and Anxiety Stress Scale 21 (DASS-21) (see Appendix C), academic performance through self-disclosure of their GPA to measure depression, and social support using the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS).
Instruments
The research study employed the following instruments to measure independent and dependent variables: depression, anxiety, academic performance, and social support.
Depression and Anxiety
The Depression and Anxiety Stress Scale 21 (DASS-21) was utilized to measure depression among the participants. The DASS-21 is a shorter version of the original instrument that was developed by Lovibond and Lovibond (1995) for research purposes in non-clinical samples. The original version constituted of 42-item self-report scale to measure depression, anxiety, and stress (DASS). However, the DASS-21 only employs 21-item self-report that evaluates three dimensions; depression, anxiety, and stress. The scale comprises of 7-item self-report scales taken from the initial DASS version. In the scale, each subset is utilized to measure the constructs. Therefore, this research study only employed 14 items from the DASS-21 to measure depression. The 4-point Likert scale with a range between zero (0) and three (3) was used. The score zero represented “inapplicable to me”, and three represented “extremely applicable.” The statements used to express depression included: “I did not feel positive at all,” “I felt hopeless and helpless,” “I had nothing to look forward to,” and “I felt like I was not worth much.” These statements were used on the DASS-21 scale to assess depression. The scoring criteria were normal, mild, moderate, severe, or extremely severe depression.
The reliability of the DASS-21 in the original scale was measured using the Cronbach’s alpha and found to be 0.81 for depression (Tonsing, 2014). The DASS-21 has been employed in multiple studies to measure the three subscales of psychological distress: anxiety, depression, and stress. Henry and Crawford (2005) postulate that the DASS-21 has proven adequate validity and conciseness for ideal candidates with limited concentration. The DASS-21 is commonly utilized to survey mental health among young adults such as college students, in non-clinical settings. A study conducted by Mahmud et al. (2010) evaluated the reliability and validity of DASS-21 among college students. The research recommended DASS-21, highlighting it as a significant instrument for distinguishing depression.
Academic performance
The academic performance of the participants was measured using the grade point average (GPA). The study required the students first to select their GPA range. The students were provided five categories for selection: 0, 0-0.9, 1.0-1.9, 2.0-2.9, 3.0-3.9, and 4.0. The survey also required the participants to report their current GPA. The inclusion of value and category questions were also utilized for students that may fail to know their GPA. The essentiality of the report was to increase the response rate among the participants. The GPA is the most commonly used measurement parameter utilized to assess academic performance (Wilson, 2018).
Social Support
The study utilized the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) to measure the participants’ support. The instrument (MSPSS) measures three components of perceived support: family, friends, and significant others (Brannan, 2013). Each subscale encapsulates four items which bring the total scale to twelve items. A 7-point Likert scale was utilized with a range of 1-7. One (1) represented very strongly disagree while seven (7) represented very strongly agree. The twelve items in the Likert scale were represented in statement form, and the participants were required to indicate their feelings. Some of the statements in the scale included: “My friends have my back when things go wrong,” “I can rely on my family for emotional and social support,” and “there is a special person who cares about me.” Social support is evaluated on a 12-items basis with the total range from 12 being the lowest and 94 being the highest. The scoring scale distinguishes between low, moderate and high support.
According to Kazarian and McCabe (1991), the MSPSS guarantees both consistency and validity with the internal reliability of 0.88 on the scale. The subscales of friends, family, and partner have indicated high reliabilities of 0.87, 0.85, and 0.91, respectively. Friedlander et al. (2007) posit that MSPSS internal reliabilities have been consistent in multiple samples, including among college students.
Demographic information
The students were also asked basic demographic questions to determine their age, gender, and classification (freshman or sophomore).
Statistical Analysis
The study collected data from the surveys, and reviewing was conducted based on the characteristics of the samples. The study employed descriptive analyses to summarize the characteristics (age, gender, and race), descriptive statistics of the predictor variables, and the outcome variable. The study failed to implement a plan for the hierarchical logistic regression analysis to assess a serious academic performance problem due to the low participation rate (n = 5, 5.3%). However, a hierarchical linear regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the implications of independent variables (depression and social support) on the dependent variable (academic performance). The statistical analysis also determined a statistically significant moderating effect; hence its graphical examination using the PROCESS macro developed by Hayes (2013).