Relationship between forgiveness and mental well-being among undergraduate students in UEW

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between forgiveness and mental wellbeing among undergraduate students at the University of Education, Winneba, using a mixed methods approach with an embedded design. From a population of 66,351 students, cluster sampling was used to select 382 participants for the quantitative phase, while purposive sampling guided the qualitative phase. Quantitative data were collected using the Heartland Forgiveness Scale (HFS) and the WHO-5 Wellbeing Index, and qualitative data were obtained through semi-structured interviews. Descriptive statistics and one-way ANOVA were used to analyze the quantitative data, while thematic analysis was applied to the qualitative data. The results revealed a weak but statistically significant negative relationship between forgiveness and wellbeing (r = -0.317, p < 0.000), indicating that higher forgiveness was associated with slightly lower wellbeing, with forgiveness explaining only a small proportion of variance in wellbeing. The qualitative findings identified strategies for enhancing forgiveness, aimed at fostering a supportive campus environment and positive social interactions. Despite the weak association, the findings suggest that forgivenessfocused interventions may support students‘ mental health. It is recommended that university counselling centers implement programs emphasizing self-compassion and self-acceptance to promote forgiveness and improve mental wellbeing.