Correlates of Resilience among University Students

Abstract

Background: The growing focus on health promotion and wellbeing provides an opportunity to investigate the role of resilience in health. Aims: To identify the relationship between resilience, depressive symptoms, and perceived social support among university students in Jordan. Methods: a descriptive correlational design utilized to collect data collected using self-reported questionnaire from 480 university students from two private and two public universities in Jordan. Data collected in regards to resilience, depressive symptoms, and perceived social support. Results: The results showed that 50% of the university students in this study had moderate to high level of resiliency, 70% had certain degree of depressive feeling, and about 50% had had high level of perception of social support from family, friends, and others. The findings also showed that depression (β = - .51, p < .001) and perceived social support from friends (β = .18, p < .001) were significant predictors of resilience. Conclusions: Mental health professionals need to enhance resiliency and perceived social support system among university- aged individuals. In their periodic assessment, mental health professionals have to screen students for risk behaviors and psychosocial health indicators such as resilience, depressive symptoms, sources of perceived social support and life styles.