Homesickness, depression and happiness in university students in Hamadan, Iran

Background and aims: Students are exposed to multiple mental disorders. One of the most important things that students face to is homesickness and depression that causes reduction happiness in them. This study was conducted to determine the relationship between homesickness with depression and happiness in dormitory students in Hamadan University of Medical Sciences.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at on 387 dormitory students of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences from January to April 2016. The sampling was stratified random with proportional allocation. Data collection was completed through self-reporting, and the use of four informational demographic questionnaires, homesickness Benfleet questionnaire, student's depression questionnaire (USDI), and oxford happiness questionnaire. Analysis was performed using SPSS23 software Results: Results showed that depression had inverse (-0.6) relationship with happiness, so that with increasing depression scores happiness decreases. Depression had significant direct relationship with homesickness (0.3), therefore with increasing homesickness scores, depression scores also increases. As well as homesickness has a significant inverse relationship (-0.2) with happiness score, and with increasing homesickness, happiness decreases.