The case of depression among college students has been increasing nowadays (National College Health Assessment, 2014), including in Indonesia (https://news.detik.com; https://regional.kompas.com; https://www.liputan6.com). Studies over the years have established the relationship between depression and stress. The stress that college students experience is also related to anxiety and high academic attrition rates (Frazier & Schauben, 1994; McClain & Abramson, 1995; Ragheb & McKinney, 1993; Tao, et al., 2000; Vazsonyi & Belliston, 2006). The stress here defined as relatively minor daily hassles that may have disruptive effects on psychological well-being and functioning of students (Kohn, Hay, & Legere, 1994; Calderon, Hey, & Seabert, 2001). Previous studies had found that a higher level of stress is perceived by first-year college students, as they are in a transition period of so many changes from school life to college life (Chemers, Hu, & Garcia, 2001; Misra, McKean, West, & Russo, 2000; Sand, Robinson, & Dixon, 2005). However, several studies had shown different results, as they showed the existence of sophomore slump, or distress experienced by second-year college students (Gahagan & Hunter, 2008; Tower et al., 2015). Therefore, this study would study both populations, the first and second-year college students.

College adjustment has been becoming the spotlight in the research field of college students as buffering factor of first-year college students’ stress. College adjustment has been found to be negatively related to students’ level of stress (Fuad & Zarfiel, 2017) and positively related to students’ well-being (Siregar, 2011). As one of the most used theories of college adjustment, Baker and Siryk (1984, 1989) defines college adjustment as a multifaceted construct that involves an array of demands, which vary in kind and degree, and require a variety of coping responses or adjustments. They differentiate four aspects of college students, which are: academic adjustment, social adjustment, personal-emotional adjustment, and institutional attachment. This study would focus on personal-emotional adjustment, as this aspect focuses on the student’s psychological state and the extent to which he or she is experiencing general psychological distress (Baker & Siryk, 1984, 1989). It is assumed that the higher the students’ PEA, the lower their stress level would be, and the lower also their chance of being depressed.

Among several factors mentioned to affect college adjustment, this research would focus on the role of social support. Social support is known to be helpful for individuals’ adjustment and promoting psychological well-being (Dunkley, Blankstein, Halsall, Williams, & Winkworth, 2000; Rayle & Chung, 2007). In addition, social support from friends and family may help first-year college students transition and handle their academic stress in more productive and healthy manners (Dwyer & Cummings, 2001; Shumaker & Hill, 1991). Social support is understood as a beneficial resource individual receives from friends and family. Social support for adolescent could be classified as support received from family or from friends (peer). This study would focus on peer support because most first and second-year college students are in adolescent years. In this period, an individual is assumed to spend more time with their peer, compared to other social agents they have in their life.

Conducted on 245 college students in several universities in Indonesia, this study aimed to prove the influence of peer support on Indonesia college students’ personal-emotional adjustment. Peer support was measured using Indonesian adaptation of Adolescence Peer Support Scale from Children and Adolescence Social Support Scale (CASS) developed by Malecky and Demaray (2002). Meanwhile, the Personal-emotional adjustment was measured using Personal-Emotional subscale of Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ) developed by Baker and Siryk  (1989) that had been adapted to Indonesian version (Rifameutia & Malay, 2016).

Regression analyses revealed that social support significantly affected college students’ personal-emotional adjustment. Further analyses showed that social support in the form of sharing ideas and giving advice to one’s problems that gave the biggest contribution to the variances of students’ personal-emotional adjustment. The implication of these results especially directed to authorities in universities. In order to decrease their level of stress, they could enhance their students’ adjustment by empowering peer support among students. For example, by integrating more group activities in learning, creating students’ peer counselor, or promoting college co-curricular activities to give them access to interact with their peers.