The Effects of Depression and Optimism on Academic Stress in Korean University Students in COVID-19 Situation

Abstract

This study confirmed the degree of depression, optimism, academic stress, and COVID-19 life change of college students in the COVID-19 situation. An attempt was made to provide basic data for the development and application of programs to reduce the learning stress of college students. Data collection was conducted from January 1 to February 28, 2022, with the consent of the subjects, and the number of participants used for the final analysis was 170. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation, and multiple regression using the SPSS 26.0 statistical program. There was a significant difference according to department satisfaction and personality in the difference in depression according to general characteristics. The optimism of college students was significantly different depending on the department satisfaction and personality. There was a significant difference in the academic stress of college students according to their department satisfaction and personality. When examining the correlation between depression, optimism, and academic stress of the subjects, the depression of college students had a statistically significant negative correlation with optimism. The subject's academic stress had a statistically significant positive correlation with depression and a statistically significant negative correlation with optimism. The degree of life change of college students after COVID-19 was found to be an average of 2.33 points (out of four points). As factors affecting academic stress of college students, department satisfaction and depression showed statistically significant results. Explanatory power of academic stress caused by these factors was 37.3%. Under the COVID-19 situation, academic stress, depression, and optimism of college students had a significant effect on department satisfaction and personality. As academic stress increased, depression also increased, and as academic stress decreased, optimism increased. In other words, it was confirmed that academic stress is an important influencing factor on depression and optimism. Reduction of academic stress seems to be essential to lead a positive daily life such as optimism of college students, and it seems that it is necessary to develop various educational programs to reduce the learning stress of college students in the context of COVID-19.