SOURCES OF SOCIAL SUPPORT AS PREDICTORS OF SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS: A CASE OF KIBABII UNIVERSITY IN KENYA

Problem behaviorsare a source of concern, to the conventional society and its institutions of authority and usually illicit some form of control response. Problem behaviors among University student populations, the world over, are of concern to educators, counselors and psychologists. This is because of the potential of problem behaviors at this stage to undermine the achievement of both personal and national development goals. The danger to achievement of goals stems largely, from the varying control responses that are often elicited with regard to problem behaviors.At the University, problem behaviors lead to wastage of valuable class and study time due to chronic absenteeism of the students. Studies conducted in Kenya and other countries revealed that social support systems among other psycho social factors were believed to have profound relationship with the problem behaviors such as depression symptoms of students in Universities. Therefore it was important to establish if these same factors would produce similar effects with Kibabii University students. Locally accessed and available literature seemed not to have focused on how psycho social factors namely parental behavior, peer influence & social support factors, and how they contribute to students’ problem behaviors among secondary school students. This study sought to fill these knowledge gaps by investigating the relationship between psycho social factors and problem behaviors among students in Universities in order to design intervention strategies that are more holistic and inclusive thus helping the students to change their behaviors. GSJ: Volume 8, Issue 6, June 2020 ISSN 2320-9186 1857 GSJ© 2020 www.globalscientificjournal. com Background Although depression is a common health problem and has been shown to have detrimental effects on the students’ studies, few studies in Kenya have addressed the mental health problems in Kenyan Universities. It is estimated that mental, neurological and substance use disorders account for 13% of the total global burden of disease (Ustun et al., 2004, Kessler, et al.,2003, Reddy, 2010, Ferrari et al., 2013) and that depression alone accounts for over 40% of the mental disabilities. Moreover people with depression have a 4060% chance of dying prematurely compared to the general population. There is also evidence that depression can predispose people to various diseases such as diabetes, myocardial infection, HIV infection and death from suicide (Rubin et al., 2009, Nduna et al., 2010). More and more University students worldwide are currently being diagnosed with mental health problems and many researchers attribute this to academic, financial and social stressors ( Chen et al.,2013, Larcombe et al., 2016). The surge in the number of people who attend University and complete undergraduate and post graduate degrees has resulted in University education becoming more challenging. In a sample of 461 students 82% female, mean age 20.62 years, the prevalence of depressive symptoms was 33% (Alusubaie, Stain, Webster &Wadman, 2019). This study found that social support from the family, and friends was a significant predictor of depressive symptoms. The ability of students to excel in their academic pursuit is dependent on several factors including availability of materials, being in the right frame of mind, healthy and being able to cope with academic stressors. Studies in the Western world have demonstrated how mental health of students has significant impacts on the academic performance of students in different countries. Literature has shown that performance in school, College or University is affected by many symptoms of depression, such as difficulties in concentration, lack of interest and motivation, preoccupations, fatigability and poor attendance (Fine &Carlison, 1992). Similarly, some studies have documented the impact of psychological well-being on students’ performance to the extent that students who are physically and psychologically stable are expected to perform better compared to those who are not physically, mentally and psychologically fit (Yasin&Dzulkifli, 2011) those experiencing psychological problems in managing their academic performance. Bilgel and Bayaram( 2014) found that students generally experienced mild depression, anxiety and stress with notable sex differences as females showed significantly higher levels of depression, anxiety and stress than male students. Further several factors have been identified to influence the level of psychological well-being and distress among both healthy and sick people of which students are part. One of these factors is that level of perceived social support of the students. Social support refers to the experience being valued, respected, cared about and loved by others who are present in one’s life (Gurung, 2006). It may come from different sources such as family, friends, teachers, community or any social groups to which one is affiliated ( Dzulkifli&Yasin, 2009). Social support therefore is a buffer against life stressors and as an agent that promotes health and wellness (Dollete, Steese, Phillips, & Mathews, 2004). The University environment encourages students to meet new people, create social networks and have special relationships. At this age, students spend more time with peers compared to families as most students move away from their home area to study at the University (Michael, Bowers, Colleen Terzian, Hunsberger, & Bruce, 2000). It is a transitional stage for University students from adolescence to early adulthood to explore their identity and shape their social characteristics. All these factors are attributable to the crucial role of the support of friends during this transitional phase. According to DawariHamdan Mansour (2008), social support from family is predictive of depressive symptoms albeit not as strong as a predictor as support from friends. However a family has an important role in providing support to protect the mental health of students. One condition that might explain the importance of the family as a source of social support is the parent’s maturity and rich experiences with life stressors, as the maturity of the sources of support is considered as an essential condition when individuals seek support ( Camara, Bacigalupe, & Padilla, 2017). The strongest prediction of depressive symptoms from friends compared to family is likely to be found in this agegroup and might be explained by the proximity of friends and the need of support while at University especially for those moved away from home. Social support from significant others has been shown to have a positive influence on University students’ mental health (Kugbey, 2015). Sources of social support represent a valuable resource for Universities in protecting the mental health of students. A person’s ability to have close relationships with other people is one of the most important features of a healthy personality. Close relationships influence the personal and social development of people considerably. From a perspective of attachment Theory (Bowlby, 1979), the quality of one’s closest relationships beginning in infancy set the stage for subsequent development. When these relationships are secure, they promote selfreliance, confident exploration of the environment and resiliency in dealing with life’s stresses and crises. On the other hand, lack of secure attachment can lead to difficulties in regulating emotions and relating to others, GSJ: Volume 8, Issue 6, June 2020 ISSN 2320-9186 1858 GSJ© 2020 www.globalscientificjournal. com engendering a vulnerability to psychological distress, loneliness and depression (Quellete and DiPlacido, 2001). People who lose their attachment figures, regardless of the reason, experience loneliness which may slip into symptoms of depression. A significant relationship between depression and insecure attachment styles has been studied. These studies suggest that insecure attachment styles appear to increase one’s vulnerability to depressive symptoms (Bifulco et al., 2002; Reinecke and Rogers, 2001) and to increase the likelihood that an individual will become depressed (Di Fillipo&Overholser, 2002; Scott & Cordova, 2002; West & George, 2002). Studies have shown that there exists is a significant relationship between attachment styles and the worth that one attributes to self and others, the level at which one may perceive and openly communicate his/her feelings with other’s ability to cope and to adjust, and several well established risk factors such as depression; this suggests that an individual’s attachment style may affect depression levels and reasons for living. Insecurely attached people may experience depressive symptoms by enhancing negative beliefs about the self (as being someone unworthy of love and support) or by accentuating negative belies about others (as being unloving and unsupportive). Research shows that insecurely attached people are in fact more prone to depression and depressive symptoms. The prevalence of depressive symptoms varies across different populations. Specifically depressive symptoms are frequent among University students all over the world and their prevalence appears to be increasing (Adewuya et al., 2006). The prevalence of depressive symptoms in Turkish University students varied between 10 and 40% (Kuey et al., 1987). Depressive symptoms among University students have been associated with independent decision making such as being on their own and managing their daily life, and financial difficulties (Andrews & Wilding, 2004). Academic performance also contributes to the risk of depressive symptoms and mental health problems (Beifer et al, 2015) as many students experience academic requirements in University as more demanding than in secondary schools. Social support has been shown to promote mental health and acts as a buffer against stressful life events (Dollette& Phillips, 2004). Social support has a