Last modified: 2018-08-10
Abstract
Predicting Clinical Symptom Among Freshmen College Students from Loneliness, and Psychological Well Being: A Multiple-regression Approach
Airin Triwahyuni, Clement Eko Prasetio, Tiffani Amalia Rahman, Anggia Cahaya Jelita, Urip Purwono
Department of Psychology, Universitas Padjadjaran, Sumedang, Indonesia;
anggia15002@mail.unpad.ac.id
Predicting Clinical Symptom Among Freshmen College Students from Loneliness, and Psychological Well Being: A Multiple-regression Approach
Background Mental health problem is common in college students. As the students go through the first year of college, students prone to clinical symptom such as depressive symptom and anxiety. Living separately from parents and highschool friends could lead to loneliness. Moreover, loneliness is linked to several psychological disorder such as depression, anxiety and stress disorder. While positive psychological well being is a potential resource to survive transition phase. Thus, this study investigates the relationship of loneliness and psychological well being dimension as predictors of freshmen undergraduate students’ clinical symptom. These information could be used as a basic framework on students admission proccess.
Methods The participants consisted of almost all first year undergraduate students in Faculty of Psychology of Universitas Padjadjaran, as many as 151 students (97.41 %), agreed to participate in classroom data collection. Self-report questionnaire (SRQ-24) for clinical symptoms, Loneliness Scale (UCLA Loneliness Scale, Version 3), Psychological Well Being Short Form (42 items, six dimensions: autonomy, environmental mastery, personal growth, positive relation, purpose in life, self-acceptance), and two question concerning living separately with parents in a rent room (yes or no options) and the length of adaptation problem (in month) were used in data collection. Stepwise multiple-regression method was employed to investigate the relationship and independent-sample t-test was employed to investigate the differences in loneliness and clinical symptom.
Result The result showed 62.3% students has significant number of clinical symptom, therefore recommended to find professional help. Preceding regression, correlation between clinical symptom and loneliness, psychological well being dimensions, living in a rent room and length of adaptation problem correlation was calculated. All variables showed significant correlation, ranged from .564 to -.220. Employing stepwise regression procedure, we found that loneliness, self acceptance psychological well being, and the length of adaptation problem were significant predictors of clinical symptom among freshmen undergraduate students. While five dimension of psychological well being (autonomy, environmental mastery, personal growth, and positive relation, purpose in life) and living with parents were not significant predictor for clinical symptom among freshmen college students. A total of 39% of the variance in clinical symptom was explained by loneliness, psychological well being on self acceptance, and the length adaptation problem, whereas the strongest predictor (explained 32% variance) was loneliness. There was no loneliness and clinical symptom differences between students who live with parents and who live separately with parents in a rent room t(149) = .578, p-value = .564 for loneliness and t(149) = -.900, p-value = .370 for clinical symptom.
Conclusion Loneliness, self acceptance psychological well being, and the length of adaptation problem could be used to predict clinical symptom among freshmen undergraduate students. However, it only explained 39% of the variance. While 32% of variance could be explained by only loneliness variable. Thus, focusing the intervention on how to overcome loneliness is important. For further research, more variables such as perceived social support, students’ stress level, and coping stress could explained more variance.
Added-values Meanwhile, for practical benefit, focus on loneliness and how students’ self acceptance could be used a basic framework on students’ admission proccess.
Contribution to society No one could argue that college students has been expected to contribute on developing our country. Thus facilitating a college student to get optimal benefit from the educational institution is important. According to Badan Pusat Statistik, there are 71.12% Indonesian citizen who goes to school, and 23.93% is in college age (19-24 years old). The more succesful a student pass through transition phase in first year of college, accordingly the better their academic performance.
Keywords: clinical symptom; loneliness; freshman college students; psychological well being
Word Count = 585 words.