Factors Important in Developing Depression in Undergraduates

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Authors

Brotzel, Kelly
Brandon, Connor

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2019-04-25

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Abstract

Depression is known to have serious effects on an individual’s well-being. Depression has been shown to influence sleep, eating habits, alcohol, substance use and increases in anxiety. We investigated whether changes in these factors could predict the severity of depression in an undergraduate population. Specifically, we hypothesized that certain personality factors, levels of anxiety, sleep quality, alcohol consumption and alcohol knowledge scores would be accurate predictors of one’s level of depression according to Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI). One hundred and three undergraduate General Psychology students over the age of 18 completed the research. Using a multiple-regression analysis, we found that personality factors and anxiety levels both accurately predicted a participant’s depression score. Previous evidence supports the claim that specific personality types are related to depression due to people believing they have little control over what happens in their lives (Zawawi & Hamaideh, 2009). Additionally, anxiety has been shown to be a major contributor to depression due to its relationship with key factors that often lead to depression (Wang et al., 2019). The current research is important because it gives us more insight into the complexities of depression factors in a functioning undergraduate population, as well as suggesting that personality has a substantial impact on our mental health.

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