Understanding University Students’ Depression and Anxiety From a Self-Determination Theory Perspective: Individual, Contextual, and Sociocultural Shifts

Abstract

University students are under pressure. What are the factors responsible for what some call a “psychological distress epidemic”? In this chapter, we analyze various factors linked to students’ experience of emotional challenges such as recurrent anxiety and depression symptoms during their studies. While individual factors like genetic predisposition, coping strategies, and cognitive assessment play a role in mental health, focusing solely on these factors may not provide a comprehensive understanding of students’ well-being. Exploring contextual and sociocultural elements as well as how these elements have evolved in higher education in the last decades could offer insights into why this generation of students faces particularly high levels of anxiety. Using the self-determination theory as a framework for interpretation, we look at what changed, for better or for worse, in students’ pathways in the higher education landscape. In particular, societal shifts toward inclusion, but also increased competitiveness and reduced alternatives may explain why students today are faced with challenges in meeting their psychological needs and experiencing positive mental states.