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Depression and college stress, major concerns among undergraduates, are potentially related to self-esteem and mattering. This study investigated the interrelationships among these four variables. Participants included college students (199 males and 256 females) between the ages of 18 and 23. Significant sex differences were found with women reporting greater depression, college stress, and mattering. Sex, self-esteem, and mattering accounted for 13.8% and 39.4% of the variance in stress and depression, respectively. Accounting for 49.1% of the variance, the full model including sex, self-esteem, and mattering enhanced the ability of stress to predict depression. All of the study hypotheses were supported.
Two major concerns related to the academic success and graduation rates of college students are college stress and depression. Research has shown that the vast majority of college students experience moderate (77.6%) or serious (10.4%) stress and are most affected by Stressors related to their studies (i.e., examination results and work load; Abouserie, 1994). Furthermore, the most likely age group to have major depression (MD) includes individuals between the ages of 15 and 24 (Blazer, Kessler, McGonangle, & Swartz, 1994), the typical age range of undergraduates. In 1995, Pace and Trapp reported that almost one fourth of college students have reported experiencing major depression. In 2001, Furr, Westefeld, McConnell, and Jenkins reported that 53% of 1,455 college students labeled themselves as being depressed since starting college and attributed their depression to academic issues, loneliness, financial difficulties, and relationship problems. Additionally, 9% of these students reported having suicidal ideation. The 2001 National College Health Assessment (American College Health Association, 2001) report revealed that during the year 2000, 76% of students felt "overwhelmed" and 22% were unable to function as a result of feeling depressed. Furthermore, the Higher Education Research Institute (Engle, 2003) noted, that although there have been declines in depression and stress among college students, they remain significant problems, particularly for women. Other studies have also found that women, as compared to men, perceive events to be more severe and stressful (Matud, 2004; Tamres, Janicki, & Helgeson, 2002). Similarly, the literature is replete with studies indicating that women report more depression than do men. The American Psychiatric Association (2000) reported that women experience depression twice as often as men. The female to male ratio...