Research Report on depression and anxiety
Abstract
A survey was conducted amongst first year university students, whom are studying first year Psychology. The survey conducted measured depression, anxiety and stress. All students were required to participate. They were asked to complete an online questionnaire, formally known as DASS (Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale). The 467 participants answered all the questions provided in the questionnaire based solely on how applicable the questions were to their levels of depression, anxiety and stress. The results that were obtained show that females were more likely to experience higher levels of anxiety and stress rather than males which are only likely to experience high levels of depression. In conclusion it was found that first year Psychology students are at a higher risk of experiencing higher levels of depression, anxiety and stress compared to the population norms.
Depression, anxiety and stress amongst first year psychology students
A number of different studies have concluded that first year university can be a stressful time for students, especially for those students who have not come straight from high school. Starting new at a University often leads to learning to adapt to different types of situations and gaining completely new responsibilities, certain freedoms, dislocation from family unit and forming completely new friendship circles, as the friendship groups once made in high school are no longer applicable. For many students, this type of transition may be a very stressful event. High rates of psychological morbidity have been known to be reported amongst university and college students in a range of countries all over the world. Some of these countries include Australia, Asia, the UK, Canada, and America. These countries are known to have the highest rates of depression and anxiety which are typically reported amongst first year university and college students. (Wong, Cheung, Chan, Ma & Tang, 2006, p. 777-778)
A survey was conducted amongst first year university students, whom are studying first year Psychology. The survey conducted measured depression, anxiety and stress. All students were required to participate. They were asked to complete an online questionnaire, formally known as DASS (Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale). The 467 participants answered all the questions provided in the questionnaire based solely on how applicable the questions were to their levels of depression, anxiety and stress. The results that were obtained show that females were more likely to experience higher levels of anxiety and stress rather than males which are only likely to experience high levels of depression. In conclusion it was found that first year Psychology students are at a higher risk of experiencing higher levels of depression, anxiety and stress compared to the population norms.
Depression, anxiety and stress amongst first year psychology students
A number of different studies have concluded that first year university can be a stressful time for students, especially for those students who have not come straight from high school. Starting new at a University often leads to learning to adapt to different types of situations and gaining completely new responsibilities, certain freedoms, dislocation from family unit and forming completely new friendship circles, as the friendship groups once made in high school are no longer applicable. For many students, this type of transition may be a very stressful event. High rates of psychological morbidity have been known to be reported amongst university and college students in a range of countries all over the world. Some of these countries include Australia, Asia, the UK, Canada, and America. These countries are known to have the highest rates of depression and anxiety which are typically reported amongst first year university and college students. (Wong, Cheung, Chan, Ma & Tang, 2006, p. 777-778)
References: Calm Clinic (2013). Depression and Anxiety « Calm Clinic. Retrieved from http://www.calmclinic.com/anxiety-depression Calm Clinic (2013). Teenage Anxiety Symptoms « Calm Clinic. Retrieved from http://www.calmclinic.com/anxiety/teenage-anxiety-symptoms Henry, Julie, D., John, R., & Crawford (2005). The British Journal of Clinical Psychology. The short-form version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21): Construct validity and normative data in a large non-clinical sample, 44, 227-239. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.lib.rmit.edu.au/docview/218632664?accountid=13552 Price, E. L., McLeod, P. J., Gleich, S. S., & Hand, D. (2006). Canadian Journal of Counselling. One-Year Prevalance Rates of Major Depressive Disorder in First-Year Uiversity Students, 40(2), 68-78. Retrieved from http://cjc-rcc.ucalgary.ca/cjc/index.php/rcc/article/viewArticle/291 Wong, J. G., Cheung, E. P., Chan, K. K., Ma, K. K., & Tang, S. W. (2006). Web-based survey of depression, anxiety and stress in first-year tertiary education students in Hong Kong. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 776-781. Retrieved from 40:777-782