The progress of anxiety, mood, and psychotic symptoms during undergraduate education

Abstract

Objective: The basic aim of the study is to determine the outcome of anxiety (somatization, obsessive-compulsive, anxiety, and phobic anxiety), mood (interpersonal sensitivity, depression, and hostility) and psychotic symptoms (paranoid ideation and psychoticism) during undergraduate education. In this context, the effect of undergraduate education on psychological symptoms has been tested. Another aim of the study is to determine which psychological symptom or symptoms occur mostly in this period. Methods: The temporal change in the psychological symptoms of same people was aimed to be determined. In order to reach this aim the study was planned as a `longitudinal study' which is one type of scanning research. Data had been collected by Symptom Check List-90- R. Study had been conducted on 120 volunteer students. Results: Anxiety, mood and psychotic symptoms gradually increase at undergraduate 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade and decrease at 4th grade. Anxiety, mood and psychotic symptoms increase at 3rd grade mostly. Psychological symptoms which occur mostly at 3rd grade respectively are: obsessive-compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, paranoid ideation, anxiety, psychoticism, somatization and hostility. Phobic anxiety had not been found at any grade level. Conclusion: Psychological symptoms draw the shape of a convex graph during undergraduate education. Third grade is the peak point of the graph.