Family relationships and locus of control as predictors of students’ mental well-being

Abstract

Mental well-being of students is crucial for the development of the individual and attainment of his/her goals as well as contribution to the society. This study investigated family relationships and locus of control as predictors of students’ mental well-being. One hundred and fifty-six university students (males = 97; females = 59), with age range between 17 and 28 years (M = 21.56, SD = 2.46 years), participated in this study. Measures for data collection were Index of Family Relation, Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale, and Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale. Regression analysis was utilised to predict students’ mental well-being from the family relationships and locus of control. Results showed that family relationship was a negative predictor of students’ mental well-being, while locus of control positively predicted students’ mental well-being. It was concluded that stakeholders in education should consider the roles of the family environment and the students’ control beliefs with a view to improving the mental well-being of students in higher institutions.