Effect of a psychosocial well-being programme for students at a Tanzanian University

Abstract

This study investigated the efficacy of a new psychosocial well-being promoting programme for university students in Tanzania. Participants were adult university students (N = 82; 42 married and 40 single; 46 females and 36 males) of 19 to 40 years of age with a mean age of 29.5. Four standardised scales (the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form MHC-SF; the Coping Self-Efficacy Scale – CSE; the Trait Hope Scale (THS); and The Patient Health Questionnaire: Depression Symptoms -PHQ-9); were administered before and after the programme to determine the effect thereof. Quantitative findings indicated that the programme had a significant positive effect on problem-focused coping, social well-being and hope. Married participants were more effective in suppression of unpleasant emotions in the experimental group than in the control group. Gender-based differences were noted on emotional well-being scores, where an increase in the experimental group is noted for females on areas such as problem-focused coping, suppression of unpleasant emotions, total self-efficacy, and social well-being. The programme was specifically effective on suppressing unpleasant emotions to married participants in the experimental group. 

Keywords: Tanzania, well-being, university students, positive psychology, promotion, programme evaluation.