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Romantic relationship challenges and young men's mental health in Canadian-based undergraduate university students
Paul Sharp1,2,3, John Oliffe2,4, David Kealy3
1School of Health Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Objective:
Young adulthood is a unique period when most men's romantic relationships are in nascent stages. The current study aimed to explore the impact of romantic relationship challenges on young men's mental health in a national sample of undergraduate Canadian-based university students.
Participants:
A reference group from the 2022 National College Health Assessment was analyzed (N = 2,036), comprising young men (18-24 years) who were enrolled in full-time undergraduate studies in Canada.
Methods:
Multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) was used to examine differences in psychological distress, loneliness, suicide risk, and positive mental health based on relationship distress.
Result:
Overall, 816 respondents (40.1%) reported experiencing a romantic relationship challenge in the last 12 months. Young men who experienced a distressed relationship reported higher levels of psychological distress (partial η2 = .043), loneliness (partial η2 = .050), and suicidal behavior (partial η2 = .034), and lower levels of positive mental health (partial η2 = .011).
Conclusions:
The findings reflect significant mental health concerns for young men who experience relationship challenges, underscoring the need to provide tailored services to young men in navigating their romantic relationships, including a relationship breakdown.
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