Perceived social support and socio-demographic factors in relation to symptoms of anxiety, depression and stress in Chilean university students

Abstract

Research with university students shows a high prevalence of mental disorders, so it is necessary to study the impact of protective variables such as social support. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of perceived social support and the socio-demographic factors gender and socio-economical level on symptomatology related to depression, anxiety, and stress. In the framework of a non-experimental and cross-sectional design, 449 undergraduate students answered the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS-21) and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). Results showed that perceived social support was negatively associated with psychopathological symptoms, and that family support is the strongest predictor of mental health symptomatology. These findings indicate that family social support is important to Chilean university students and plays a protective role against the symptoms of anxiety, depression and stress in this stage in life.