Dynamic Career Attitudes And Life Satisfaction Among CEDIES' Postgraduates From Luxembourg

Doctoral thesis (2017)

Introduction: With an ever increasing number of university students and the employment shift from an opportunity to insecure development, new postgraduate generations have to be amenable to continuous ... [more ▼]

Introduction: With an ever increasing number of university students and the employment shift from an opportunity to insecure development, new postgraduate generations have to be amenable to continuous upgrading, complete with a wide range of skills in the promotion of their career development. Keeping in mind that the job market and work environment are variables that are mostly changing, the possession of an active career attitude may be a guarantee for postgraduates’ employability and their career outcome. Giving importance to the adjustment during the transitional period, life satisfaction (LS) may be altered based on the discrepancy between career aspiration and career achievement. Among university postgraduates, the main objectives of our doctoral work are to (1) measure the associations between dynamic career attitudes (DCA), generic employment capabilities and socioeconomic factors (2) determine the underlying structure of DCA, protean career orientation and career goal (3) analyze relations between DCA dimensions and career factors such as career goals, protean career orientation and LS (4) evaluate the effects of DCA dimensions on LS for native and non-native Luxembourgish postgraduates. Method: A survey was conducted among 2800 participants registered at the Centre for Documentation and Information on Higher Education (CEDIES). Data collection was realized via an information flyer that was sent to the home addresses of the postgraduates and that contained instructions about the aims of the study and a link to the survey. The postgraduates could directly access the anonymous online questionnaire in either French or English. To explore the associations and relations between variables student t-tests and bivariate correlations were used. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted to identify the underlying relationships between measured DCA dimensions, protean career orientation and career goals. In order to determine the statistical significance of the indirect effect for the mediation analysis, the bootstrapped confidence interval on 1000 bootstrap samples was used. A multiple logistic regression was applied to each group, but only significant variables (p<0.05) were introduced into the regression models. Results: A total of 644 volunteers completed the self-assessment questionnaire online. Majority of the participants were female, students and not employed. Postgraduates with high employment capabilities tend to present a higher dynamic career score that has been identified as a construct of four career dimensions (career adaptability, career optimism, career related knowledge and career planning). Each dimension was mediated from self-directed career dimension of protean career orientation by intrinsic career goal. Career adaptability and career optimism predicted both, happiness and LS. However, this relationship seems only to be presented for ‘postgraduates that are still studying. In the same vein, the DCA dimension of career optimism has been associated to LS by native Luxembourgers, whereas perceived financial situation intervenes in explanation of LS by non-native postgraduates. Discussion and Conclusion: The Dynamic Career Attitudes scale appears to be a relevant instrument in evaluating disparities in employment capabilities among postgraduates. Our findings indicated the application of intrinsic career goal in the development of career attitudes, where career adaptability and career optimism explained the highest proportion of the variance related to LS. The acquisition of qualitative information on DCA from a comparable population at different stages (from career goals aspirations and the process toward career goal accomplishments), could be rendered more straightforward for future research. Finally, it could be interesting to assess the DCA of university graduates during and after their Master’s degrees; before they start work and in the early years of their careers. Contextualizing our findings, the differences of native Luxembourgish and non-native postgraduates don't differ in LS, however, it seems to be influenced by different variables such as financial situation suggesting the introduction of the social grant of CEDIES for the most disadvantaged students. Practical implications are also suggested. Promoting programs proposed by University services towards counseling and an accompaniment to their career attitudes may enhance postgraduates’ LS which are major indicators for a successful mobility. [less ▲]

Life satisfaction of non-mobile vs.mobile postgraduates intra EU and outside EU Universities, and its associations with mental health and career attitudes.

in Innovative ideas in Health Psychology (2017)

Specific attention should be devoted to the needs of young adults enrolled in a mobility abroad programme of their universities. Among mobile vs. non-mobile postgraduates, our study analysed their life ... [more ▼]

Specific attention should be devoted to the needs of young adults enrolled in a mobility abroad programme of their universities. Among mobile vs. non-mobile postgraduates, our study analysed their life satisfaction (LS) as well as the associations with mental health-related factors and career attitudes. We determined factors contributing to their LS. Method. In 2012/13, three groups (non-mobile = 66; mobile intra-EU = 382; mobile outside-EU = 44) who had obtained a financial aid from the Luxembourgish government, without family’s socioeconomic criteria. Master students completed an online questionnaire, and analyses included multiple linear regression models in which only relationships (p<0.05) were introduced. Results. Further mobility showed higher levels of LS (outside-EU 8.5/10, intra-EU 7.8 and 7.9 non-mobile). For all groups, health satisfaction (HS) was positively correlated with LS; for mobile outside-EU, it is the only determinant. For mobile intra-EU, the quality of their autonomy and their career adaptability were also associated to LS (regression parameter estimates β: 0.208 and 0.128, respectively), and worry (β:-0.146). For non-mobile, in addition to HS, their career optimism and planning were positively correlated to their LS (β: 0.402 and 0.214, respectively). Conclusion. Promoting programmes proposed by the universities’ services towards counselling and an accompaniment to their career project may enhance postgraduates’ LS which is a major indicator for a successful mobility. The assessment of outside-EU’ LS was higher than the EU-28 LS’ indicator (age group 25-34 years; in 2013: 7.5/10). More cross-cultural research would be warranted to better understand the etiology of their LS. [less ▲]

Students’ Well-being: Impacts of studying out-EU and perceived autonomy on the Psychological Quality of Life

in European Health Psychologist (2015), special

Introduction: With an increasing number of university students in preparation of their entrance in the labor market, the wellbeing of the postgraduates became a priority for many universities. Despite ... [more ▼]

Introduction: With an increasing number of university students in preparation of their entrance in the labor market, the wellbeing of the postgraduates became a priority for many universities. Despite numerous studies on this topic, respective relationships of wellbeing and other psychosocial factors still remain unclear. Aims: (1) to assess Psychological Quality of Life of postgraduates who study in Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (GDL), EU and non – EU countries; (2) to analyze its associations with their socio-economic,health and employability related cofactors. Method: All masters’ students registered at the Centre for Documentation and Information on Higher Education (CEDIES) database in GDL were contacted by mail to participate at an online questionnaire (in English or French) measuring: 1. Psychological Whoqol-bref (6 items) (dependent variable) 2. Wellbeing attributes: Quality of Life Autonomy, Health Satisfaction, and Penn state worry questionnaire (Worries). 3. Employability attributes: Search for Work Self Efficacy scale (SWSES), Career Goals setting. 4. Perceived financial situation and socio-demographic characteristics. Respondents who did not mention the country of their studies were excluded from the analysis. Bivariate tests and correlations were performed for association analyses between the variables. Only significant relationships (p<0.05) were used in the multiple linear model. Results: 490 participants were volunteers from which 13.5% study in Luxembourg, 77.8% in an EU country and 8.7% in a non EU country. Majority were women, with exception for those studying in non-EU countries who were mainly men. Participants studying in GDL were older than those studying abroad. Natives of Luxembourg were prevalent with higher percentages among those who study in a non EU-country. Those studying in non-EU showed significantly (p<0.05) higher Psychological Quality of Life (M=76.8; SD=12.8) than those in GDL (M=74.5;SD=12.6) respectively in EU (M=71.4; SD=15.3). While participants differ in their QoL-Autonomy score there isn’t any significant difference in their career goals setting, Search for work self efficacy, Health satisfaction, Worries and Perceived financial situation across the country of study.Conclusion: Better psychological quality of life mobilized the capability of students to study abroad, which is related to better wellbeing attributes. However this relationship remains true only for students studying in Non-EU countries. Implementing workshops to increase individual self-efficacy towards a future employment may improve and/or maintain wellbeing of academics and limit so, respective social inequalities. [less ▲]

Des souffrances multiples à la souffrance paroxystique.

in Pensée plurielle (2015), 2015/1(N°38), 9-22

The purpose of our study is to contribute to the understanding of the mechanisms playing a role in the deconstruction of mental suffering. With the support of the Luxembourgish RE.SO.NORD (REseau du ... [more ▼]

The purpose of our study is to contribute to the understanding of the mechanisms playing a role in the deconstruction of mental suffering. With the support of the Luxembourgish RE.SO.NORD (REseau du centre SOcial de la région du NORD), a diagnosis of the sufferings of people living in rural districts was completed with the first-line health and social professionals who work with their clients on a daily basis. Twenty-six professionals participated in interviews during which they described the sufferings of their clients. They appeared as the effects of a drift and show how the amplification process of psychic sufferings (permanent anxiety, depression, etc.) and the accumulation of social and family factors (job loss, family separation, etc.) can lead to the emergence of critical mental health conditions. In this logic of paroxystic gradation, mental health problems may aggregate a set of harmful behaviors. This gradation illustrates the state achieved by the clients when their intimate and social domains of life are impeded. The paroxystic suffering represents the state during which the individual seems to fail to cope with their sufferings and is no longer able to recover. The professionals recognize a lack of information and incentive during medical consultation in which their clients dread the fear of being stigmatized. They admit the existence of poor coordination and access to primary health care and a lack of support for those who suffer and their family caregivers in order to prepare them to become actors that can mobilize their "health capability". [less ▲]

Undergraduate students’ life satisfaction, between employability and career capabilities

in Pracana, Clara (Ed.) Social Psychology (2015)

Assessment of life satisfaction (LS) is an important issue in the overall preparation of undergraduates towards an employment outcome. The aim of our study is to analyze the associations between LS and ... [more ▼]

Assessment of life satisfaction (LS) is an important issue in the overall preparation of undergraduates towards an employment outcome. The aim of our study is to analyze the associations between LS and socio-demographic factors, career attitudes, employability soft skills, academic work satisfaction and quality of life autonomy. Methods: Undergraduate students were invited to complete a paper pencil questionnaire exploring: Life satisfaction (LS), Dynamic Career Attitudes (DCA), Employability Soft-Skills (ESS-Short), academic Work Satisfaction (WS), Quality Life of Autonomy (QoLA) and socio-demographic characteristics (age, gender, educational field, year of study, work experience (less vs. more than 6 months and actual employment). Data were analyzed using correlation and multiple linear regression models. Results: 124 volunteers (22.6 years) had LS of 75.4/100. Majority were women, in the first year of Bachelor, and in applied management. Most of them had six months or less of job experiences and were unemployed. Higher the DCA, ESS-Short, QoLA and WS better was the students LS. Conclusions: LS is an indicator related with employability and career capabilities. Supporting students through wellness and career activities program in autonomy-supportive environment, to cope with their stressful period and to enhance their generic employment and career capabilities may allow to the undergraduates to maintain their LS. [less ▲]

Déconstruction du processus cumulatif et d’amplification des souffrances :les effets d’une dérive…

in Les Déterminants de la santé (2014)

A partir du discours de professionnels de proximité qui côtoient au quotidien les souffrances psychiques de leurs clients, nos objectifs ont été d’analyser les principaux problèmes de santé mentale et les ... [more ▼]

A partir du discours de professionnels de proximité qui côtoient au quotidien les souffrances psychiques de leurs clients, nos objectifs ont été d’analyser les principaux problèmes de santé mentale et les facteurs psychosociaux qui contribuent à l’émergence des souffrances, et participent à leur maintien ou leur développement, et de déterminer leurs besoins et les actions qui pourraient être entreprises pour y répondre. Notre problématique s’inscrit une compréhension des processus présents dans la construction et la reconstruction des souffrances des clients des services sociaux et de santé. Comme aucune information n’existe sur l’accès aux soins en milieu rural, notre étude a tenté d’aborder les mécanismes de la souffrance décrits par les professionnels de proximité. Notre approche a été guidée par les questions suivantes: si la souffrance résulte d’une vision de l’individu sur sa propre existence, quelles valeurs entrent en jeu ? Si la souffrance est appréhendée comme la résultante d’une conduite particulière, dans quelle mesure est-elle aussi un produit social ? Quelles sont les interventions qui couvriraient les besoins de cette clientèle ? Quelles sont les actions qui les amèneraient à acquérir des capacités personnelles et des capabilités sociales pour s’opposer aux effets des souffrances ? Comment lorsque les souffrances interagissent de concert dans des contextes qui leur sont propices, mènent-elles les personnes aux dérives d’un état psychique qui se détériore ? La liste des professionnels de première ligne travaillant auprès de personnes âgées de 18 à 65 ans issues des communes rurales a été établie avec l’aide du comité de pilotage du RE.SO.NORD (REseau du centre SOcial de la région du NORD). Un entretien semi-structuré d’une durée de plus d’une heure a été mené en face à face. A partir des retranscriptions des discours des professionnels, une analyse de contenu a été menée. Les professionnels de proximité ayant participé à l’enquête (sept médecins généralistes, trois psychiatres, neuf assistants sociaux, trois psychologues et sept travailleurs sociaux ; moyenne d’âge 42 ans, dont les femmes sont légèrement plus nombreuses) décrivent les effets d’une dérive en montrant comment les mécanismes en jeu produisent des processus d’amplification des problèmes neuropsychiatriques et d’accumulation des facteurs psychosociaux, et comment ces souffrances peuvent aboutir à des états de santé mentale critiques. Dans cette logique de gradation, les problèmes de santé mentale viennent s’agréger à un ensemble de comportements délétères. Cette gradation illustre un état que les clients atteignent lorsque les sphères intime et sociale se dégradent de concert. Elle représente cet état au cours duquel les personnes semblent avoir comme perdu face à leurs souffrances et ne parviennent plus à s’en relever. Car la di fficulté majeure rencontrée par leurs clients ne réside pas tant dans l’existence avérée d’une souffrance, mais dans l’incapacité à la surmonter. La souffrance dite « émotionnelle » désigne le caractère privé de l’existence et concerne les aspects tels que les comportements liés à l’addiction, aux troubles neuropsychiatriques et psychologiques, aux anxiétés existentielles profondes, et aux conséquences que ces problèmes engendrent sur le bien-être mental via les maladies mentales, font ici sens au regard d’une souffrance, à tout le moins personnelle. La détresse d’ordre psychique agit alors comme le révélateur de la souffrance vécue lorsque la sphère intime de leur existence se dégrade. Quant à a souffrance dite « sociale » est le résultat de l’angoisse perçue quant à la dégradation de leur qualité de vie. Elle se réfère aux conditions psychologiques de vie ainsi qu’aux conditions matérielles de l’e xistence telles que le travail, le logement, le revenu, autant de facteurs qui, lorsque leur pérennité devient incertaine, et affecte la satisfaction à l’égard de la vie des personnes et de son entourage. La mise en avant d’une interaction résultant du choc des sphères émotionnelle et sociale montre qu’un problème survient rarement seul. La question qui demeure, est celle de comprendre si la présence simultanée de divers problèmes découle d’un effet en cascade, du glissement d’un problème vers un autre ou de la présence de facteurs de risque communs à l’apparition de cette souffrance. Dans la mesure où les souffrances sont multiples et s’interpénètrent, les observations des professionnels ont tenté de mettre au jour l’attention particulière qu’il est nécessaire de porter au développement conjoint des diverses trajectoires problématiques, et de leurs comorbidités. Les pistes d’action vers lesquels aboutissent nos résultats s’inscrivent dans les objectifs [less ▲]

First-year at university: the effect of academic employability skills and physical quality of life on students’ well-being.

in Work: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment, and Rehabilitation (2014), 49

With increasing access at European universities, supporting and promoting the high education, students’ mental well-being and generic employability capacities have become priorities, but their respective ... [more ▼]

With increasing access at European universities, supporting and promoting the high education, students’ mental well-being and generic employability capacities have become priorities, but their respective influences, after an adaptation period of seven months, remain unclear. <br />OBJECTIVE: To analyse the relationships between students’ well-being and self-perceived academic employability skills, and other social and environmental factors. METHODS: 321 freshmen students at the end of their first year completed an online questionnaire. Two instruments were used to assess well-being: the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), which explores psychological suffering, and the psychological quality of life subdomain of the Whoqol-bref. RESULTS: Psychological Whoqol-bref scores are linked to the academic employability skills (AES) items of drafting, critical spirit, problem-solving, teamwork, and supervision/direction of others, and has positive effects on AES score and on the following Whoqol-bref domains: physical, social relationships and environmental. Although three of six psychological Whoqol-bref items (ability to concentrate, satisfaction with self, negative feelings) are correlated with GHQ-12 items (sleeping, decision-making, feeling under strain, problem-solving, depression, self-confidence, thinking about self, feeling happy). GHQ-12 score is negatively linked with Whoqol-bref physical. CONCLUSIONS: For better quality of life, and improved employability skills, innovative activities should be developed to ascertain the sustainable academic's abilities of students. [less ▲]

Individual Differences in Learning Difficulty

in International Psychological Applications Conference and Trends (2014)

Correlates of adolescent learning difficulty may include a number of issues sustained across the life course but this is little documented. This study assessed the associations of learning difficulty with ... [more ▼]

Correlates of adolescent learning difficulty may include a number of issues sustained across the life course but this is little documented. This study assessed the associations of learning difficulty with socioeconomic, behavior and health-related difficulties in early adolescence. This study included 1,559 middle-school adolescents from north-eastern France, who completed a self-administered questionnaire gathering socioeconomic characteristics (gender, age, nationality, family structure, father’s occupation, and family income), measured body mass index, alcohol/tobacco/cannabis/hard drug use, health status, back pain, allergy, depressive symptoms (Kandel scale), sustained physical/verbal violence, sexual abuse, social support, learning difficulty (a 4-item scale: lesson understanding, concentration/lesson learning, follow school pace/constraints, and school interrogations, range 0-4), grade repetition, low school performance (last trimester, <10/20), and school dropout contemplation at 16 years. Data were analyzed using multiple linear and logistic regression models. Learning difficulty score was strongly related to grade repetition (gender-age-adjusted odds ratio 1.56, 95% CI 1.38-1.76), low school performance (2.39, 2.08-2.75) and school dropout contemplation (1.79, 1.50-2.13). Learning difficulty was strongly related to socioeconomic factors (gaRC reaching 0.76). It was also related to alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, and hard drug use (0.22, 0.74, 0.71 and 1.25, respectively), overweight (0.17), obesity (0.43), poor health status (0.45), back pain (0.21), allergy (0.11), depressive symptoms (0.69), sustained violence (0.41), sexual abuse (0.72), and poor social support (0.22). These associations were partly explained by socioeconomic factors (contribution reaching 54% for various factors; it was 109% for alcohol use). These findings suggest that prevention to limit learning difficulty and promote school achievement should focus on socioeconomic, behavior and health-related difficulties in early adolescence. [less ▲]

Positive Career Attitudes Effect on Happiness and Life Satisfaction by Master Students and Graduates

in Open Journal of Social Sciences (2014), 2

Background: Happiness and life satisfaction are well-known indicators. However, there has been little contribution by the scientific community on the positive career attitudes of master students and ... [more ▼]

Background: Happiness and life satisfaction are well-known indicators. However, there has been little contribution by the scientific community on the positive career attitudes of master students and graduates. In an effort to provide deeper empirical understanding, the relationships between positive career attitudes, health satisfaction, financial situation and happiness and life satisfaction among master students and graduates were analyzed. Method: A link of online questionnaire was sent by mail to all students which independently of their social economic status obtained a financial aid from the government of Luxembourg, and to all master graduates (ex-students) who havebeen finished with their courses for one year. The data was analyzed using bivariate tests, correlation and multiple linear regression models. Result: 455 voluntary postgraduate/master students vs. 144 graduates participated. Students were younger than the graduates (mean age 26 vs. 29 years). Majority was female and had Luxembourgish nationality. Most graduates had a job and lived with their parents. Luxembourg natives were happier, and those who were living with their parents showed higher life satisfaction. For both samples, self-rated health satisfaction was positively associated with happiness and life satisfaction. For the students, the higher career adaptability and career optimism are, the better the happiness and life satisfaction will be. The higher the perception of the household financial situation is, the better the happiness will be. For graduates, the higher career optimism contributed to the better happiness. Conclusion: Happiness and life satisfaction of master students and graduates were affected, related to socioeconomic and perceived health difficulties, and career attitudes. Those indicators could be used routinely to monitor the situation of young people over time and their needs in terms of adaptability and optimism capabilities, which should be appropriately treated. These findings may help with the development of university and post university interventions aimed at improving happiness and life satisfaction among postgraduate students and ex-students. [less ▲]

What factors can enhance Dynamic Career Attitudes of University students?

in InPACT International Psychological Applications Conference and Trends (2014)

In order to develop a University programme to prepare students for the demands of the job market our experimental study analyzes the relationships between the job search capabilities, the employability ... [more ▼]

In order to develop a University programme to prepare students for the demands of the job market our experimental study analyzes the relationships between the job search capabilities, the employability soft-skills, the domain autonomy of the quality of life and the dynamic career attitudes. During a class, 46 undergraduate students were invited to complete a self-administered paper pencil questionnaire that explores the Job search capabilities (JSC=26 items), Employability soft-skills (ESS 32 items), Quality of life autonomy domain (QoLA 4 items), and the Dynamic career attitudes (DCA 16 items). Each instrument was scored from 0 to 100. Correlation and multiple linear regression models were used for the analysis. 43 students have participated. (1) The JSC score is linked to the ESS score (r=0.561; p=0.000). (2) The ESS score, and QoL-autonomy scores are correlated to DCA score (r=0.644, p=0.000; respectively, r=0.595, p=0.000). Enhancing dynamic carrier attitudes could be stimulated with pedagogical workshops and interpersonal trainings developing students’ autonomy and employability abilities. [less ▲]