A study on depression, anxiety, and negative emotions in college students in response to the Person-in the-Rain Test

Abstract

Objectives This study aims to identify the responses shown in the picture test and negative psychological aspects such as depression, anxiety, and negative emotions by using both the subjective responses shown in the People-in-the-Rain Picture Test(PITR), a projective test, and a multiple-choice self-report test. Methods The target was college students attending K University in Region P. 146 copies were distributed and 125 copies were collected. Of these, the data from 108 people, excluding 17 who responded insincerely, was analyzed. The collected data were subjected to frequency analysis, reliability analysis, descriptive statistics, and correlation analysis using the SPSS statics 26.0 program. An independent sample t-test was conducted to confirm gender differences in variables, and a simple regression analysis was conducted to determine the effect of the PITR re-sponse on depression, anxiety, and negative emotions. An independent samples t-test was conducted to confirm the differences in responses to the PITR according to the upper and lower levels of the average emotional score. Results First, as a result of checking the correlation between variables, the ‘stress’ response did not have a stat-istically significant relationship with depression, anxiety, and negative emotions in the PITR response, and the ‘coping resources’ response did not have a statistically significant relationship with depression, it was found to be negatively correlated with anxiety and negative emotions, and the ‘coping ability’ response was also found to be negatively correlated with depression, anxiety, and negative emotions. Second, differences in variables according to gender were confirmed in the ‘coping resources’ response and the ‘coping ability’ response among the PITR responses. Third, PITR response was found to affect depression, anxiety, and negative emotions. Fourth, as a re-sult of checking whether there was a difference in the response to the PITR depending on the average score of depression, anxiety, and negative emotions, it was found that there was no difference in the response to the PITR according to depression, the differences in responses to the PITR according to anxiety and negative emotions were verified to have statistically significant differences in both ‘coping ability’ responses. Conclusions Through the results of this study, it was confirmed that negative psychological aspects such as de-pression, anxiety, and negative emotions can vary depending on how one copes with the stress rather than the stress itself, and that the response to the PITR differs depending on gender in terms of coping with stress. It was confirmed that there was a difference. In addition, we were able to understand that depression, anxiety, and neg-ative emotions are different psychological characteristics, and it was confirmed that coping abilities vary accordingly. The significance of this study is that it provided evidence for early detection, appropriate treatment, and prevention education for college students with mental health difficulties.