DETERMINING THE ROLE OF SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL ADJUSTMENT IN DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND STRESS SYMPTOMS AMONG STUDENTS OF URMIA UNIVERSITY OF MEDICAL SCIENCES IN 2018

Background & Aims: University students face significant psychological stress and adverse life events throughout their student career. Depression, anxiety, and poor academic performance can be due to stress. Studies have revealed that individual, psychological, social, personality, and familial factors influence depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms. The aim of the present study was to determine the role of social and emotional adjustment on depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms among the students of Urmia University of Medical Sciences. Materials & Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study, 394 students were selected through the convenient sampling method from Urmia University of Medical Sciences in 2018. They completed the Bell Social and Emotional Adjustment Scale and DASS_21. Data were analyzed through descriptive and inferential (Kruskal-Wallis and Mann–Whitney U tests) statistical methods (SPSS 24). Results: The findings revealed that%45.68, %52.03, and%49.49 of the students experienced different degrees of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms, respectively. Also, in this study, different levels of social and emotional adjustment significantly influenced depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms in the students (p= 0.000). Conclusion: According to the results, it can be concluded that a remarkable number of the students express depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms and it is clarified that social and emotional adjustment are effective factors in depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms. It seems that special attention should be given to improve mental health in the students.