This study investigates the relationship between digital well-being and psychological well-being among undergraduate students enrolled in technical academic programs at a Romanian university. Emphasizing the impact of academic digital technology use, digital autonomy, work–life balance, and the quality of online interactions, the research addresses the increasing digitalization in higher education and its implications for students’ mental and emotional health. A purposive sample of 208 students from Electronics, Telecommunications, Automation, Computer Science, and Engineering in Foreign Languages programs was surveyed using validated instruments, including a Digital Well-Being Questionnaire, Ryff’s Psychological Well-Being Scale, and the WHO-5 Well-Being Index. A mix of descriptive and inferential statistics was employed to comprehensively explore the associations between digital well-being and psychological outcomes. The findings highlight significant associations between digital engagement patterns and both psychological and subjective well-being, with notable differences influenced by sociodemographic factors such as gender. This study contributes to the emerging field of digital well-being in academic contexts by providing data-driven insights that can inform institutional strategies to support student health and optimize digital learning environments.

Background and Objectives: Young people of all ages are now prematurely overexposed to a tech-addicted life, with negative psychological, physiological, sociological, and educational effects. Ease of access to and normalization of exposure to technology are indicated as the main causes of internet addiction and a mental health concern, especially in Romania, a country with widespread and easy access to the internet. Methods: This exploratory cross-sectional study with 132 participants investigated the relationship between emotional regulation difficulties (ERDs) and the risk of internet addiction (IA) among medical and technical students—two educational cultures defined by intense educational and emotional stress—with the aim of identifying specific patterns of variability. Standardized self-report data were collected, and specific descriptive and correlational statistical methods were used. Results: Key findings suggest similar moderate difficulty in emotional regulation for each student sample and normal-to-mild internet use for technical and medical students. A moderately strong Pearson correlation was observed between internet addiction and emotional regulation difficulties across the entire group of students (r = 0.54, p < 0.001). However, higher levels of emotional dysregulation and internet addiction risk were evident for the medical students. Conclusions: These results suggest that IA is closely linked to ERD rather than to the exposure to technology itself, as we presumed in the case of technical students. Moreover, medical students have a greater need for institutional support measures than their technical peers to cope with a highly challenging educational environment that exceeds individual levels of effective self-regulation.

Psychological comorbidity is increasingly recognized as a critical factor influencing outcomes in chronic illness management, particularly in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The present study examines the psychological burden associated with long-term hemodialysis in patients with ESRD, focusing on emotional distress and maladaptive personality traits. Specifically, it explores group differences between hemodialysis patients and matched healthy controls in levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and psychopathological tendencies, including neuroticism, paranoia, and psychopathy-related traits, as well as exploratory associations with treatment duration. A purposive sample of 60 participants (30 patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis and 30 age- and sex-matched healthy controls) was assessed using validated psychometric instruments: The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Pichot Neuroticism and Psychopathy Questionnaire, and a 23-item stress measurement questionnaire adapted to the dialysis context. Both descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were conducted, including independent-samples t-tests and effect size calculations (Cohen’s d). Compared to healthy controls, hemodialysis patients exhibited significantly higher levels of psychological distress across multiple domains. Large between-group effect sizes were observed for depression (Cohen’s d = 1.26) and perceived stress (d = 1.51), while moderate effects were identified for anxiety (d = 0.70), neuroticism (d = 0.58), and psychopathy-related traits (d = 0.82). Exploratory analyses indicated that patients with less than 10 years of dialysis experience reported significantly higher stress levels than those with longer treatment duration, whereas differences in anxiety, depression, and personality traits by dialysis duration were not statistically significant. These findings highlight the substantial emotional burden associated with long-term hemodialysis and underscore the importance of routine psychological screening and early psychosocial interventions to support adaptation, treatment adherence, and quality of life in nephrology care.

Introduction: This study investigates the relationships between academic motivation, learning strategies, and academic maladjustment among first-year undergraduate students at a science and technology university, with the aim of understanding factors that influence the transition to the university environment. Methods: A total of 383 first-year students from the National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest participated in the study. Data were collected online using questionnaires assessing reasons for attending university, learning strategies, and academic maladjustment, including procrastination, test anxiety, lack of honesty, Machiavellian attitudes, neuroticism, and somatization. Correlational analyses and multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationships between these variables. Results: Expectations and Lack of Alternatives/Inertia emerged as consistent predictors of academic maladjustment, whereas Personal-Intellectual Development, Career/Materialism, and Humanitarian orientations showed limited independent effects. Learning strategies made a relatively small contribution to maladjustment after controlling for motivation. When examined independently, concrete/practical strategies were negatively associated with maladjustment, whereas memorization was positively associated with maladjustment, although these associations were weak. Discussion: The findings suggest that academic motivation may play a more important role than learning strategies in the academic adjustment of first-year students. The results support the value of integrated interventions combining motivation assessment, counseling, and the development of effective learning strategies to support students’ autonomy, academic adjustment, and social integration.