ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN LEVEL OF STRESS AND DEPRESSION AMONG STUDENTS

This research study examined the level of stress and depression associated with students and how social support influences the stress and depression levels of students. There are several interactions between stress, depression, and social support towards the well-being of students at the tertiary level. One hundred students from Legon Hall of the University of Ghana participated in the research study, comprising 50 males and 50 females who voluntarily completed questionnaires related to the Perceived Stress Scale, Beck Depression Scale, and Appraisal Support Subscale. The study was conducted using a cross-sectional study to assess the participants’ level of stress, level of depression, and social support level. The result of the study showed that there was a significant difference in the level of stress among male and female students, in that males tend to have a higher level of stress than females. Also, depression accounted for a significant difference between males and females. Moreover, stress and depression accounted for a statistically significant difference, such that the high level of stress accounted for a high level of depression among participants. Additionally, social support and depression were found to account for a statistically significant difference, whereas no statistically significant difference was observed between social support and stress. The findings showed that students are easily associated with stress challenges, and the high level of stress was identified to cause health problems, such as high depression.