PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS IN ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS
Wong Teik Aun1, Laurel Wynne Kimura2, Chan Yi Hern3 and
Safiyyah Nisreen Rabiyah Binti Ahmad4
INTI International College Penang, Malaysia
(1teikaun.wong@newinti.edu.my, 2laurel.wkimura@newinti.edu.my,
3
joshuachanyh@yahoo.com, 4safiyyahjohnson@gmail.com)
ABSTRACT
This exploratory research concerns non-academic psychological factors affecting academic performance among
college students. This issue is seen as of increasing importance given the prevalence of suicides and other
psychological problems among students in Malaysia as it is reported in the mass media and various studies. A survey
questionnaire was constructed and executed on 158 students in INTI International College Penang. The survey yielded
seven psychosocial issues that are perceived as “serious” and three factors that have a bearing on these issues. Analysis
points to several policies and actions that can be implemented to address these issues.
KEYWORDS
Academic factors, non-academic factors, psychological factors, psychosocial factors, academic performance, coping
skills, student suicide
INTRODUCTION
An evaluation of the success factors of tertiary education has usually focused on the academic
factors that affect academic performance, such as teaching methodology (problem-based learning,
collaborative learning, e-learning, etc.), studying methodology (time management skills, multiple
intelligence, emotional quotient (EQ), etc.), historical results (SPM results, high school records,
academic rank, etc.) and so on. As seemingly relevant as academic factors are in determining
academic success, they are nonetheless deemed inadequate without factoring non-academic factors
into the equation. Fundamental in this approach is the prognosis that a holistic perspective that
includes both academic and non-academic factors is required to gain a better understanding of the
success factors of students in tertiary education.
This study will focus on psychological factors amongst the varied non-academic factors such as
socio-economic, religious, financial, life-style, etc. The impact of psychological factors on student
performance and success in tertiary education is increasingly coming to light. As society develops
and matures, the physical well-being of its members will be increasingly addressed, eventually
becoming a “non-issue” for the majority of the populace. Non-physical psychological factors will
then come to the fore as witnessed in many developed countries such as America, that witnessed a
rapid increase in the rate of feeling stressed and overwhelmed among college students in the
1980s. This phenomenon is replicated in developed Asian countries like Japan and Korea as
highlighted in the article Student suicides lead to soul-searching in South Koreai. At our very own
doorsteps, a recent spate of teen suicides exemplified by the death of a Form 5 student from SMJK
Phor Tay in Penangii highlights the gravity of this issue. This incident has even prompted
Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) to develop an intervention program Tools 4 Teens to address this
issue.iii
Therefore, the importance of examining the prevalence of psychological factors relating to the
inability to cope is now an urgent call for a nation like Malaysia aiming to achieve on developednation status. By determining the possible causes for negative feelings, educational institutions
can develop policies to improve students’ overall resilience and well-being. The benefits of such
measures would be at several levels: for students, strategies to help them cope are likely to
improve class attendance, participation, persistence even when faced with setbacks or failure, and
in general, arm them with a stronger more resilient self which can lead to a much more positive
learning experience. For educational institutions, especially at the tertiary level, policies aimed at
developing coping skills in our students will enhance the effectiveness of teaching, classroom
environment, satisfaction of the teaching-learning experience, and will definitely improve the
retention rate as well. Finally, such positive effects will benefit our society as a whole and
contribute to nation-building.
There have been many studies on the impact of negative emotions and cognitive styles on student
performance, so such a relationship can be taken as given. What is called for now is a specific
study to identify and determine what kinds of psychological factors are affecting students in INTI
International College Penang. This identification and subsequent analysis is envisaged to assist in
policy-making and resource allocation towards designing and deploying appropriate intervention
programs to address and alleviate the psychological factors affecting students in tertiary education.
BACKGROUND
Despite the growing awareness of psychological problems among Malaysian students, data and
research on the prevalence and root causes of these problems are few relative to what is available
for western countries of the developed world.iv
That there is an important relationship between psychological factors and academic performance
has been shown by Malaysian as well as foreign studies. A local study has found a correlation
between study anxiety level and academic performance as measured by CGPA scores among
engineering studentsv. A study undertaken of college students by researchers at Indiana University
of Pennsylvania examined several self-report measures of stress including faulty cognitions,
loneliness, depression, hopelessness, family cohesiveness, adaptive reasons for living, and suicidal
ideation and behavior. Their findings pointed to several key psychological variables as predictive
of suicidal behavior, including loneliness, irrational beliefs, and low adaptive reasons for living.
Their predictive model of suicidal behavior is based on three measures: Social/Emotional
Alienation, Cognitive Distortions, and Deficient Adaptive Resources.vi
As far as what factors might mitigate the adverse effects of academic stress on grades, research on
first year undergraduates has shown that learned resourcefulness enables students to control
negative emotions and manage stress better than those low or lacking learned resourcefulness
skills.vii Further evidence confirmed that greater academic stress is related to lower course grades,
but students who engaged in problem-focused coping were able to manage stressful academic
events and perform better than those who used emotion-focused coping. viii
The reporting of statistics on suicide as well as numerous recent cases brought to light have been
covered by our local newspapers, but official data-gathering on this sensitive, but important issue
has been slow. The National Suicide Registry of Malaysia (NSRM) shows that the 20-39 year age
group has the highest number of suicides, with our suicide rate catching up to that of Japan
(30/100,000).ix According to Dr T Maniam, professor of Psychology at UKM, Malaysia’s suicide
rate is about 10-13 / 100,000, which is nearly equal to that of the USAx. The health ministry
identifies the “high risk” age group from 16-25 years old,xi and there is an average of 60 suicides
per month in Malaysia. The health ministry further reports that of the 140 people who attempt
suicide daily, many mainly youths and young adults. In 2008 the NSRM statistics showed there
were 290 suicides, of whom 219 were males, 71 females; 53.5% Chinese, 27.3% Indian, and
13.9% Malays.xii
Adnan offers his explanation for the rising tide of suicide in this particular age group as follows:
“Most suicide cases in our country would be considered ‘anomic suicide’. As the
integration of society deteriorates, people will feel less anchored to the social world…They
…feel left out or alone, making them more likely to take their own life. In a way it’s a
double whammy to be an adolescent in our country as two transitions are taking place at
the same time.” xiii
He further mentions that with the diminution of traditional protective factors such as the family
and religion, the younger generation lacks coping mechanisms to manage the stress they face in
school and society.xiv
METHODOLOGY
A survey questionnairexv was designed to capture how newly-enrolled INTI College students
perceive the psychosocial pressures and problems facing themselves and their peers. The survey
was executed during the campus-wide student orientation and thus the respondent pool comprises
students from all programs. A total of 158 responses were recorded giving a response rate of
approximately 80% out of the students present at the orientation.
The questionnaire is based on respondents’ perception of problems and issues rather than a direct
questionnaire about their own situation. This method is selected based on the following rationale:
1. It is considered a less-invasive questioning methodology taking into account that many
Malaysians loath to reveal their own “weaknesses”. By requesting for the respondents’
perception of the problems and issues, it is envisaged that the responses will be more
objective and reflective of the current situation.
2. Physical, time and procedural constraints make this method preferable as demands for
informed consent and confidentiality are minimized.
Respondents were assured that individual responses to the survey were to be kept strictly
confidential. Results of the survey were tabulated and analyzed using SPSS (Statistical Package
for Social Sciences) program and discussed via peer consultation.
The twenty psychosocial issues included in the survey were selected based on what is generally
known in the psychological literature as salient for this population’s developmental stage, as well
as what the background literature indicates is of relevance based on other comparable studies, for
example, personality traits that tend to correlate with tendency to suicidal thoughts and behavior.
In addition to considering the gender factor, prior exposure to talks on social-emotional issues was
included, since some students may have attended awareness talks or motivational camps through
school or religious groups, which could have an influence on how seriously they view the seven
issues raised in our study. Finally, first language was seen as possibly having some bearing on
issues such as feeling shy, lonely, lacking in confidence, etc, given the college life is largely
English-based. It was debated whether to use “Mandarin” or “Chinese” as the other language
category besides English, and the latter was eventually chosen because it is more inclusive of other
Chinese dialects. Malay was not included as a category, as the percentage of first-language Malay
speakers is relatively small at the college.
It is noted that the original intention of focusing on psychological factors has been somewhat
widened to include psycho-social factors. This development is considered natural given that many
psychological factors are impinged upon by social factors and vice versa.
FINDINGSxvi
The descriptive and inferential data were based on surveys administered to incoming INTI College
Penang students. Out of the twenty psychosocial issues covered by the survey, seven were selected
for analysis and discussion, based on what student respondents perceived as most important. These
may be enumerated in decreasing order of importance with percentages indicating proportion of
total responses indicating a particular issue as “serious”:
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
(vi)
(vii)
Spending too much time on the internet (68%);
Lack of confidence, afraid of failing, and cannot keep up (52%);
Pressured by parents (52%);
Feeling too shy (51%);
Financial strain (50%);
Feeling depressed often (49%); and
Having thoughts of suicide (39%).
Although issues (vi) and (vii) were less than 50% of total responses for their respective issues, they
were included in our analysis given their gravity. Because these are basically psychological
problems that affect much of our younger generation, and they represent a serious and growing
problem in both developed countries as well as in Malaysia, their effects on the quality of human
resources and quality of life have serious consequences on the societies concerned.
The qualitative response of “serious” is further detailed quantitatively into “serious for many” and
“serious for a few”. This detailing will be further discussed below.
The above seven (7) psycho-social issues were cross-analyzed with the respondents’ background
profile. The following three factors emerged as having a bearing on these issues as depicted in
Tables 1-3 below:
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
Gender;
Prior exposure to talks or activities related to social-emotional problems (henceforth
referred to as “Prior exposure”); and
First language.
Table 1: Psychosocial Problems Cross-analyzed by Gender
Psychosocial problem
Spending too much time on
the internet
Lack of confidence, afraid of
failing and cannot keep up
Pressured by parents
Feeling too shy
Financial strain
Feeling depressed often
Having thoughts of suicide
Serious Serious Problem for many
Serious problem for a few
(%)
Males (%)
Females (%) Males (%) Females (%)
68
43.7
49.3
20.7
21.7
52
25.0
35.7
21.6
22.9
52
51
50
49
39
17.0
22.7
21.8
13.8
5.7
27.9
22.9
18.6
25.7
8.7
30.7
23.9
28.7
24.1
22.7
30.9
32.9
30.0
34.3
43.5
Table 2: Psychosocial Problems Cross-analyzed by Prior Exposure to Talks and Activities Related
to Social-Emotional Problems
Psychosocial problem
Spending too much time on
the internet
Lack of confidence, afraid of
failing and cannot keep up
Pressured by parents
Feeling too shy
Financial strain
Feeling depressed often
Having thoughts of suicide
Serious Serious Problem for many
(%)
With (%)
Without (%)
68
56.5
38.3
Serious problem for a few
With (%)
Without (%)
15.8
25.9
52
25.0
38.3
25.0
19.3
52
51
50
49
39
20.0
13.2
14.5
18.4
5.3
23.2
31.3
25.6
19.5
8.4
37.3
34.2
39.5
28.9
40.0
25.6
21.7
20.7
29.30
24.1
Table 3: Psychosocial Problems Cross-analyzed by First Language
Psychosocial problem
Spending too much time on
the internet
Lack of confidence, afraid of
failing and cannot keep up
Pressured by parents
Feeling too shy
Financial strain
Feeling depressed often
Having thoughts of suicide
Serious Serious Problem for many
(%)
English (%) Chinese (%)
68
50.6
39.4
Serious problem for a few
English (%) Chinese (%)
20.8
19.7
52
28.2
30.3
19.2
22.7
52
51
50
49
39
29.5
17.9
23.1
22.1
10.3
12.3
25.8
18.5
16.7
3.1
33.3
29.5
37.2
36.4
33.3
29.2
21.2
18.5
21.2
29.2
ANALYSIS / DISCUSSION
An analysis across the seven issues identified and the three background factors reveal the
following significant findings:
1. Five out of the seven issues identified as serious are personal psychological and behavioral
issues suggesting the importance of this segment. The two other issues were externally induced
(Pressured by parents) and social-economical (Financial strain).
2. Six out of the seven issues identified were perceived by females as a serious problem for many
on a higher percentage compared to males. This result suggests that females are more sensitive
towards these issues and indicate an area of genuine need for attention, as factors compounding
one upon another could trigger seriously negative behavior.
3. Six out of the seven issues identified were perceived by respondents with prior exposure as a
serious problem for many on a lower percentage as compared to respondents without prior
exposure. It is inferred that respondents with prior exposure are better able to identify and
contextualize the issues to a lower severity. The prior exposure to talks and activities involving
social and emotional problems seems to be somewhat protective in giving an awareness of the
psychological issues, that many problems are not unique and can be discussed and dealt with, with
support from others.
4. Five out of the seven issues identified were perceived by respondents with English as their first
language as a serious problem for many on a higher percentage compared to respondents with
Chinese as their first language. It is inferred that students from English-speaking backgrounds are
more sensitive towards these issues.
5. “Spending too much time on the internet” identified as the most serious issue across factors of
gender, prior exposure, and first language. The fact that it was perceived by both genders as
serious for many (males 43.7%; females 49.3%), as compared to serious for a few (males 20.7%;
females 21.7%) is rather surprising, given the general perception that internet addiction is more
prevalent amongst males. Assuming this issue is interpreted as referring to non-academic pursuits,
especially games and social networking, the implications for academic performance, physical and
psychological health, and possible internet addiction are serious.
6. “Having thoughts of suicide” is of particular interest given the gravity of it. It was perceived
as a serious issue for a few rather than for many across all three factors. A higher percentage of
females (43.7%) view it as a serious problem for a few, as compared to males (22.7%). Those
having prior exposure were considerably higher (40.0%) than those without prior exposure
(24.1%), in viewing this as a serious problem for a few. Looking at the first language factor, a
significant percentage of English speakers view this as a serious issue for many (10.3%) than
Chinese speakers (3.1%).
This study is considered exploratory in identifying the non-academic psychological factors and
issues that will affect the academic performance of students. Further research is required onto the
issues and factors unearthed. Nonetheless, even with findings derived from this exploratory
research, education institutions can more easily address and ameliorate these issues and factors.
The following immediate policies are suggested for educational institutions:
1. Priority to tackle internet addiction
2. Exposure to activities related to social-emotional issues should begin at high school
3. Be aware that females and English-speakers appear to be more sensitive to the issues
4. Be vigilant on student suicides and self-harm
In the long run, a comprehensive strategy with the appropriate intervention tools is necessary. As
indicated on the background literature earlier, Malaysia is fast catching up with developed
countries in terms of suicide rates and other psychological issues. As such, our society needs to be
equipped with the necessary coping mechanisms and defenses to face this challenge.
CONCLUSION
This research has produced important findings on the non-academic psychological and
psychosocial issues facing college students in INTI International College Penang, in particular and
Malaysia, in general. Important is the fact that the findings are actionable and provide policymaking and resource-allocation direction. This research also provides direction for much needed
further research on the issues identified.
The importance of non-academic psychological and psychosocial issues facing college students
cannot be underestimated. These issues are potentially as important in determining a student’s
academic performance as academic factors. As such, educational institutions and society at large
are called upon to devote appropriate resources in addressing them.
ENDNOTES
[no author] “Student suicides lead to soul-searching in South Korea”, The Star, 15 April 2011.
Available from:
<http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/4/15/apworld/20110415171716&sec=apworld>
i
ii
[no author] The Star, 25 February 2011.
[no author] “Tools to Help Students Cope with Stress”, The Star, 12 April 2011. Available from:
< http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2011/4/12/north/8462150&sec=north>
iii
iv
Aronson, J (ed.) 2002, Improving Academic Achievement: Impact of Psychological Factors on
Education , Academic Press, San Diego, CA.
Vitasari, P.; Wahab, M.N.A.; Othman, A.; Herawan, T. & Sinnadurai, S.K., (2010), “The
Relationship between Study Anxiety and Academic Performance among Engineering Students,”
Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, vol. 8, 490-491.
Available from: < http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042810021725>
v
Bonner, R.L. & Rich, A.R. (1987), “Toward a Predictive Model of Suicidal Ideation and
Behavior: Some Preliminary Data in College Students”. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior,
17, 50–63. Available from: <DOI:10.1111/j.1943-278X.1987.tb00061.x>
vi
Akgun, S. & Ciarrochi, J. (2003), “Learned Resourcefulness Moderates the Relationship
Between Academic Stress and Academic Performance”, Educational Psychology: An International
Journal of Experimental Educational Psychology, Vol. 23, Issue 3, 287 – 294. Available from:
<DOI: 10.1080/0144341032000060129>
vii
Struthers, C.W. , Perry, R.P. & Menec, V.H. (2007), “An Examination of the Relationship
Among Academic Stress, Coping, Motivation, and Performance in College”, Research in Higher
Education, vol. 41, no. 5, pp. 581-592. Available from: <DOI: 10.1023/A:1007094931292 , The
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education: An Evidence-Based Perspective,
Section III, Pages 477-551>
ix
Cited in “Average of 60 Suicides per Month in Malaysia”, The Star, 2 February 2011, p.10.
Available from: <asianewsnet.net/home>
viii
x
The Star, 2 February 2011, p.10.
xi
The Star, 2 February 2011, p.10.
Ramachandran, Sonia (2010), “Suicide Rates in Malaysia are on the Rise”, New Straits Times,
Sun, August 29. Available in:
< http://www.asiaone.com/print/Health/News/Story/A1Story20100829-234450.html>.
xii
xiii
The Star, 2 February 2011, p.10.
xiv
The Star, 2 February 2011, p.10.
xv
Refer to Appendix A: The Survey Questionnaire
xvi
For graphs and tables depicting results, see Appendix B: The Findings of the Survey
REFERENCES
Akgun, Serap & Ciarrochi, Joseph 2003, “Learned Resourcefulness Moderates the Relationship
Between Academic Stress and Academic Performance”, Educational Psychology: An International
Journal of Experimental Educational Psychology, Vol. 23, Issue 3, pp. 287 – 294. Available
from:<DOI: 10.1080/0144341032000060129>
Aronson, Joshua (ed.) 2002, Improving Academic Achievement: Impact of Psychological Factors
on Education , Academic Press, San Diego, CA.
Bonner, RL & Rich, AR 1987, “Toward a Predictive Model of Suicidal Ideation and Behavior:
Some Preliminary Data in College Students”. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 17: 50–63.
Available in: <DOI:10.1111/j.1943-278X.1987.tb00061.x>
Ramachandran, Sonia, 2010, “Suicide Rates in Malaysia are on the Rise”, New Straits Times, Sun,
August 29. Available in: < http://www.asiaone.com/print/Health/News/Story/A1Story20100829234450.html>.
Struthers, C.Ward , Perry, Raymond P. & Menec, Verena H. 2007, “An Examination of the
Relationship Among Academic Stress, Coping, Motivation, and Performance in College”,
Research in Higher Education, vol. 41, no. 5, pp. 581-592. Available from: <DOI:
10.1023/A:1007094931292 , The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education: An
Evidence-Based Perspective, Section III, Pages 477-551>
Vitasari, Prima; Wahab, Muhammad Nubli Abdul; Othman, Ahmad; Herawan, Tutut &
Sinnadurai, Suriya Kumar, 2010, “The Relationship between Study Anxiety and Academic
Performance among Engineering Students,” Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, Vol. 8,
pp. 490-497 [International Conference on Mathematics Education Research 2010]. Available from:
< http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042810021725>
[no author] “Average of 60 Suicides per Month in Malaysia”, The Star, 2 February 2011, p.10.
Available from: <asianewsnet.net/home>
[no author] “Student suicides lead to soul-searching in South Korea”, The Star, 15 April 2011.
Available from:
<http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/4/15/apworld/20110415171716&sec=apworld>
[no author] The Star, 25 February 2011.
[no author] The Star, 25 Feb 2011.
[no author] The Star, 4 April 2011.
[no author] “Tools to Help Students Cope with Stress”, The Star, 12 April 2011. Available from:
< http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2011/4/12/north/8462150&sec=north>
APPENDICES
APPENDIX A : COPING SKILLS SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE
Name
I.C.
1st language
2nd language
Have you ever attended / participated in:
Yes
No
Talks on problems faced by young adults
Activities to raise awareness of problems affecting young adults
(e.g. drug abuse, teenage pregnancy, depression, suicide, family problems, etc)
Training in counseling
Personal counseling or therapy
Other activities related to problems of young adults
What do you think are the main
Serious
Serious
Causing
problems facing young adults these problem
problem but
stress but
days?
for many
only for a few not serious
(please tick a rating)
1
Feeling anxious often
2
Feeling depressed often
3
Feeling lonely often
4
Feeling helpless
5
Cannot keep up with studies
6
Financial strain
7
Cannot make friends
8
Girlfriend-boyfriend problems
9
Problems with drugs
10 Problems with sexual issues
11 Problems with friends
12 Pressured too much by parents
13 Problems with weight
14 Abuse in family
15 Lacking confidence
16 Feeling too shy
17 Feel afraid of failing or doing badly
18 Spend too much time on internet
19 Have thoughts of suicide
20 Cannot sleep at night
Please add any others below:
Where / When
(e.g. school, camp,
religious organization)
Not a
problem
Don’t
know
Would you be interested to volunteer as
a student peer counselor?
(those who volunteer would be given some
basic training and would be working with
peers at college) – Please tick a box --
Very interested
Somewhat
interested
Not
interested
APPENDIX B : FINDINGS OF THE SURVEY
80
70
60
50
Male
40
Female
30
20
10
0
P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 P7 P8 P9 P10 P11 P12 P13 P14 P15 P16 P17 P18 P19 P20
P1
P2
P3
P4
P5
P6
P7
P8
Too much time on
Internet
Lack of confidence
Afraid of failing
Pressured by parents
Cannot keep up
Feeling too shy
Financial strain
Feeling depressed often
Problems with sexual
P9 issues
P10 Problems with drugs
P11 Abuse in family
Girlfriend-boyfriend
P12 problems
P13 Have thoughts of suicide
P14 Cannot sleep at night
P15 Feeling helpless
P16 Cannot make friends
P17 Problems with weight
P18 Problems with friends
P19 Feeling lonely often
P20 Feeling anxious often
Figure 1: Survey Results for all Psycho-social Issues by Gender
other comment or
suggestion
80
70
60
50
40
Yes
30
No
20
10
P1
P2
P3
P4
P5
P6
P7
P8
P9
P10
P11
P12
P13
P14
P15
P16
P17
P18
P19
P20
0
Figure 2: Survey Results for all Psycho-Social Issues by Prior Exposure to Talks
80
70
60
50
English
40
Mandarin
30
20
10
0
P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 P7 P8 P9 P10P11P12P13P14P15P16P17P18P19P20
Figure 3: Survey Results for all Psycho-Social Issues by First Language
49.30%
50.00%
21.70%
40.00%
30.00%
11.60%
43.70%
20.00%
10.10%
7.20%
20.70%
10.00%
16.10%
0.00%
Serious
Serious
Causing
Problem
Problem
Stress but
for Many
for a few
not
serious
17.20%
2.30%
Male
Female
Female
Male
Not a
problem
Don't
Know
Figure 4a: Looking at “Spending too much time on the internet” by Gender
49.30%
50.00%
45.00%
40.00%
35.00%
30.00%
25.00%
20.00%
15.00%
10.00%
5.00%
0.00%
43.70%
21.70%
20.70%
Male
Female
Female
Male
Serious Problem for
Many
Serious Problem for a
few
Figure 4b: Looking at “Spending too much time on the internet” by Gender
35.70%
32.90%
40.00%
22.90%
30.00%
20.00%
25.00%
21.60%
10.00%
30.70%
5.70%
17.00%
0.00%
Serious
Serious
Causing
Problem
Problem
Stress but
for Many
for a few
not
serious
Female
5.70%
Not a
problem
Male
2.90%
Female
Male
Don't
Know
Figure 5: Looking at “Lack of confidence, afraid of failing, cannot keep up” by Gender
40.00%
27.90%
30.90%
30.90%
30.00%
30.70%
20.00%
10.00%
26.10%
17.00%
25.00%
0.00%
7.40%
2.90%
1.10%
Serious
Serious
Causing
Problem
Not a
Problem
Stress but
for Many
problem
for a few
not
serious
Male
Female
Male
Don't
Know
Figure 6: Looking at “Pressured too much by parents” by Gender
Female
32.90%
35.00%
30.00%
25.00%
20.00%
15.00%
10.00%
5.00%
0.00%
30.00%
22.90%
8.60%
29.50%
22.70%
23.90%
21.60%
5.70%
2.30%
Serious
Serious
Causing
Problem
Problem
Stress but
for Many
for a few
not
serious
Male
Female
Female
Male
Not a
problem
Don't
Know
Figure 7: Looking at “Feeling too shy” by Gender
30.00%
30.00%
25.00%
20.00%
15.00%
10.00%
5.00%
0.00%
30.00%
18.60%
11.40%
28.70%
21.80%
21.80%
21.80%
10.00%
Male
Female
Serious
Serious
Causing
Problem
Problem
Stress but
for Many
for a few
not
serious
5.70%
Not a
problem
Male
Don't
Know
Figure 8: Looking at “Financial Strain” by Gender
Female
34.30%
40.00%
25.70%
25.70%
30.00%
20.00%
12.90%
29.10%
10.00%
24.10%
13.80%
Male
1.40%
18.40%
0.00%
Female
Female
Serious
Serious
Causing
Problem
Not a
Problem
Stress but
for Many
problem
for a few
not
serious
4.60%
Male
Don't
Know
Figure 9: Looking at “Feeling depressed often” by Gender
43.50%
50.00%
40.00%
23.20%
30.00%
20.00%
10.00%
15.90%
8.70%
5.70%
40.90%
22.70%
8.70%
Male
18.20%
0.00%
Serious
Serious
Causing
Problem
Problem
Stress but
for Many
for a few
not
serious
12.50%
Female
Female
Male
Not a
problem
Don't
Know
Figure 10: Looking at “Having thoughts of suicide” by Gender
56.50%
60.00%
38.30%
50.00%
25.90%
40.00%
30.00%
13.60%
20.00%
17.30%
Yes
10.00%
4.90%
15.80%
0.00%
14.50%
Serious
Problem
for Many
Serious
Problem
for a few
No
9.20%
Causing
Stress but
not serious
No
3.90%
Not a
problem
Yes
Don't Know
Figure 11: Looking at “Spending too much time on the internet” by Prior Exposure
33.70%
35.00%
30.00%
25.00%
20.00%
15.00%
10.00%
5.00%
0.00%
28.90%
19.30%
34.20%
25.00%
25.00%
9.60%
8.40%
Yes
15.80%
Serious
Problem
for Many
No
0.00%
Serious
Problem
for a few
Causing
Stress but
not serious
No
Yes
Not a
problem
Don't Know
Figure 12: Looking at “Lack of confidence, afraid of failing, cannot keep up” by Prior Exposure
40.00%
25.60%
23.20%
28.00%
30.00%
19.50%
37.30%
20.00%
26.70%
20.00%
10.00%
Yes
3.70%
16.00%
No
0.00%
Serious
Problem
for Many
No
0.00%
Serious
Problem
for a few
Causing
Stress but
not serious
Yes
Not a
problem
Don't Know
Figure 13: Looking at “Pressured too much by parents” by Prior Exposure
31.30%
35.00%
30.00%
25.00%
20.00%
15.00%
10.00%
5.00%
0.00%
21.70%
26.50%
34.20%
34.20%
15.70%
13.20%
4.80%
15.80%
2.60%
Serious
Serious
Causing
Problem
Problem
Stress but
for Many
for a few
not
serious
Male
Female
Male
Not a
problem
Don't
Know
Figure 14: Looking at “Feeling too shy” by Prior Exposure
Female
40.00%
25.60%
30.00%
20.70% 24.40%
39.50%
18.30%
20.00%
11.00%
26.30%
10.00%
14.50%
Male
15.80%
0.00%
Serious
Serious
Causing
Problem
Not a
Problem
Stress but
for Many
problem
for a few
not
serious
3.90%
Female
Female
Male
Don't
Know
Figure 15: Looking at “Financial strain” by Prior Exposure
40.00%
30.00%
29.30%
19.50%
28.90%
20.00%
10.00%
0.00%
28.00%
38.20%
17.10%
18.40%
6.10%
Male
14.50%
Serious
Serious
Causing
Problem
Not a
Problem
Stress
but
for Many
problem
for a few
not
serious
0.00%
Female
Male
Don't
Know
Figure 16: Looking at “Feeling depressed often” by Prior Exposure
Female
40.00%
24.10%
30.00%
40.00%
20.00%
10.00%
32.50%
22.90%
8.40%
12.00%
26.70%
Male
17.30%
5.30%
0.00%
Serious
Serious
Causing
Problem
Problem
Stress but
for Many
for a few
not
serious
Female
10.70%
Female
Male
Not a
problem
Don't
Know
Figure 17: Looking at “Having thoughts of suicide” by Prior Exposure
60.00%
50.00%
40.00%
30.00%
20.00%
10.00%
0.00%
39.40%
50.60%
19.70%
18.20%
16.70%
6.10%
20.80%
11.70%
Serious
Serious
Causing
Problem
Problem
Stress but
for Many
for a few
not
serious
13.00%
3.90%
English
Chinese
Chinese
English
Not a
problem
Don't
Know
Figure 18: Looking at “Spending too much time on internet” by First Language
40.00%
30.30%
22.70%
30.00%
20.00%
38.50%
28.20%
10.00%
27.30%
12.10%
7.60%
19.20%
English
11.50%
0.00%
Serious
Serious
Causing
Problem
Problem
Stress
but
for Many
for a few
not
serious
2.60%
Chinese
Chinese
English
Not a
problem
Don't
Know
Figure 19: Looking at “Lack of confidence, afraid of failing, cannot keep up” by First Language
35.00%
30.00%
25.00%
20.00%
15.00%
10.00%
5.00%
0.00%
12.30%
29.20%
32.30%
23.10%
33.30%
29.50%
21.80%
3.10%
English
14.10%
1.30%
Serious
Serious
Causing
Problem
Problem
Stress but
for Many
for a few
not
serious
Chinese
Chinese
English
Not a
problem
Don't
Know
Figure 20: Looking at “Pressured too much by parents” by First Language
35.00%
30.00%
25.00%
20.00%
15.00%
10.00%
5.00%
0.00%
25.80%
21.20%
28.80%
19.70%
34.60%
29.50%
17.90%
4.50%
14.10%
Serious
Serious
Causing
Problem
Problem
Stress
but
for Many
for a few
not
serious
3.80%
English
Chinese
Chinese
English
Not a
problem
Don't
Know
Figure 21: Looking at “Feeling too shy” by First Language
32.30%
40.00%
30.00%
20.00%
10.00%
18.50%
18.50%
37.20%
18.50%
12.30%
23.10%
17.90%
English
17.90%
3.80%
0.00%
Serious
Serious
Causing
Problem
Problem
Stress but
for Many
for a few
not
serious
Chinese
English
Not a
problem
Don't
Know
Figure 22: Looking at “Financial Strain” by First Language
Chinese
39.40%
40.00%
30.00%
19.70%
20.00%
10.00%
21.20%
16.70%
36.40%
22.10%
23.40%
3.00%
14.30%
0.00%
Serious
3.90%
Serious
Causing
Problem
Not a
Problem
Don't
Stress but
for Many
problem
for a few
Know
not
serious
English
Chinese
English
Chinese
Figure 23: Looking at “Feeling depressed often” by First Language
35.40%
40.00%
29.20%
21.50%
30.00%
20.00%
10.00%
3.10% 33.30%
10.30%
20.50%
10.80%
23.10%
0.00%
Serious
Serious
Causing
Problem
Problem
Stress but
for Many
for a few
not
serious
English
12.80%
Chinese
English
Not a
problem
Don't
Know
Chinese