Upcoming Time Use Events

Spring

Spring 2019 Time Use Consortium Schedule

May 14  Sociology Colloquium
11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Title: Tales of Graduate Students at the Tails: Time Use Patterns of Graduate Students with Unusually Low and High Distress
Presenter: Long Doan, Assistant Professor of Sociology
Location 1101 Parren J Mitchell Art-Sociology, UMD Campus

Abstract :
Research demonstrates that graduate students experience overwhelmingly high rates of emotional problems and mental distress. Studies find that about half of graduate students report a mental disorder in the past year, such as depression. The past year mental disorder rate among graduate students is comparable to lifetime prevalence rates among the general population. Past research finds that structural factors (e.g., program of study, career prospects, academic engagement, and social support) and individual factors (e.g., sleep quality, feelings of inclusion, and relationship with advisers) are strongly correlated with mental wellbeing. Less is known about key situational factors, such as interaction partners, and interaction settings that may shape emotional reactions to events and in turn may relate to mental wellbeing. Using data from a sample of graduate students from a large mid-Atlantic state university, we present research illuminating the relationship between graduate student time use and mental wellbeing. We focus on students at the tail ends of the mental wellbeing distributions to draw conclusions about time use patterns that are most predictive of mental wellbeing and mental distress.