We invite you to attend a PhD presentation by PhD Candidate,Phuong Anh Do, School of Education.  Her supervisors are Joanna Higgins and Chris Bowden.

Abstract:There is a growing concern about poor mental health among undergraduate university students. University students have been found to experience high rates of stress, depression, anxiety and other mental health issues and these contribute to drop-outs and impact academic achievement. An increasing number of mental health problems have also been found among Vietnamese undergraduate students (VUS) such as stress, anxiety, depression and suicide. One of the factors linked to increased mental health problems is lower emotional intelligence (EI). EI refers to the abilities to perceive, use, understand and manage emotions of an individual. There are three main approaches of investigating EI, namely Ability approach, Trait approach and Competency approach. Each approach has its own EI definition to serve the unique focus of the approach towards EI. EI is involved in coping and problem-solving, reducing stress and improving physical and psychological well-being.  Individuals who lack EI experience more stress, have more mental health issues, lack adaptive coping skills and adopt unhealthy and risk-taking behaviours. Individual traits, EI and skills, and stress are not the only factors that influence coping, the social and cultural context also influences coping and adaptation. Research demonstrates that VUS have moderate to low levels of emotional intelligence; experience high level of stress, anxiety and depression; have difficulty in adapting to changes; lack assertiveness, and experience relationship instability. These mental health problems are thought to be partly caused by high levels of stress and the pressures VUS experience while trying to adhere to social and culture norms. VUS and their worldviews are strongly influenced by a mixture of values systems including Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism and Socialism.  The aim of the present study is to explore VUS’ experiences of coping and EI in a 12 weeks intervention programme. An instrumental case study and a sociocultural framework will be employed as the methodology to explore VUS’s experiences of coping and EI development within the social, cultural, religious and political context of Vietnam. The Ability Model of EI under the Ability approach and the Transactional Model of Coping have been chosen to be the guidelines in the process of designing the intervention. This case study will explore how students living and studying in Ha Noi experience learning about EI and coping during a programme. Audio diaries, interviews and cogenerative dialogues will be utilised to collect data before, during and after the programme/intervention. Thematic analysis will be used to analyse the data and present the main findings. The findings of the present study will potentially provide a better understanding of VUS’s experience of using coping strategies and the influence of EI on coping within Vietnamese sociocultural context. The findings will also contribute to the literature and theory on coping, EI and health promotion of university students.

Please arrive on time, to avoid disruption for the presenter and other attendees.