OBJECTIVE: Investigate the association between perceived social support and depressive symptoms at different stages of academic progress. PARTICIPANTS: Undergraduate students (n = 505) enrolled at a large southeastern university.
METHODS: Students completed a cross-sectional survey about their self-reported physical and mental health. Logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between depressive symptoms, perceived social support, and academic class standing.
RESULTS: Academic class standing and perceived social support were both significantly associated with depressive symptoms. Compared to freshman, odds of having depressive symptoms were 2.15 times higher for sophomores and 3.94 times higher for seniors. For every one unit increase in perceived social support, the odds of depressive symptoms decreased by 51%.
CONCLUSIONS: A significant association between depressive symptoms and social support was identified for all undergraduates in this sample. The differences identified between social support and depressive symptoms reveal the need to tailor support provided at different academic stages.
Language: en
Keywords
university; Mental health; depression; social support; undergraduate students