What is the effect of religiousness/spirituality and perceived peer support on depressive symptoms in university students

Abstract

This quantitative study aims to analyze the relationships between depressive symptoms, religiousness/spirituality and perceived peer support in university students. The data was gathered through a questionnaire consisting of three psychometric tests: the brief multidimensional measure of religiousness/spirituality; center of epidemiological studies depression scales and the friends' sub-scale of the multidimensional scale of perceived social support. The questionnaires were gathered from hundred participants. The study highlights the fact that perceived peer support and depressive symptoms was partially inversely related. Results also suggest that various dimensions of religiousness/spirituality, for example forgiveness and organizational religiousness, were inversely related to depressive symptoms. On the other hand the negative interaction experienced with one's congregation was positively related to depressive symptoms. This study also highlights the inverse relationship between religiousness/spirituality and perceived peer support.