The transition of high school to university, as well as accustoming to new peers and teachers, requires a more exceptional ability for students to adapt. Besides, as academic demands and stress increase, some students become more overwhelmed with exams or other requirements, causing despair to appear or accentuate. In some cases, this situation is related to their youth, which can reinforce negative attitudes, as well as anxiety and depression or even, make them feel like they made a wrong decision about choosing their career. This study aims to know the characteristics of hope and despair in first-year medical students that are about to finish the school year. On the other hand, it was necessary to adapt and validate the clinic characteristics of the Hope-Despair Test of Mario Ramón Pereyra to the student population, including a factorial analysis. Results of the factor analysis of the Hope scale, with 11 items, showed a .825 Cronbach Alpha, with two factors explaining 47.8% of the variance. Factor one was called Expectancy, while the second was called Coping. The Despair scale showed a .847 Cronbach Alpha, with three factors that explained 59.95% of the variance. Factor one was called Pessimism, the second Distrust, and the third Regression. In the Expectancy factor, most students tend to look forward to the future and believed they could achieve what they propose (80.2%). In the Copping factor, more than half of the students considered that they can keep making an effort despite adversity, are open to new situations, and tend to be productive. In the scale of Despair, although more than half (50 to 85.8%) hoped for the best, just over the third part was afraid that terrible things might happen in their future. These results emphasize that almost a quarter are easily discouraged and depressed; 9.5% reported thinking that their life was meaningless, and 4.6% have thought of ending their lives. Women scored lower in coping than men. Students mentioned the importance of living at home with their parents as well as having mothers who attended higher education. It is stated that the institutions must offer support to students who tend to despair.
Published in | American Journal of Applied Psychology (Volume 9, Issue 1) |
DOI | 10.11648/j.ajap.20200901.12 |
Page(s) | 7-13 |
Creative Commons |
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited. |
Copyright |
Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Science Publishing Group |
Medical Students Hope, Despair, Pessimism, Distrust, Regression
[1] | Seligman, M. E. P. (1975). Helplessness: On depression development and death. San Francisco: W. H. Freeman & Co. Ltd. |
[2] | Abramson, L. & Seligman, M. E. P. (1978). Learned helplessness in humans: Critique and reformulation. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 87 (1), 49-74. |
[3] | Morales, N. (2018). Esperanza-Desesperanza: Una etnografía de las colas. Fermentum, Revista Venezolana de Sociología y Antropología, 28 (82). |
[4] | González, J. & Hernández, A. (2012). La desesperanza aprendida y sus predictores en jóvenes: Análisis desde el modelo de Beck. Enseñanza e Investigación en Psicología, 17 (2), 313-327. |
[5] | Wilcox, M. R. (2011). Factores de Riesgo y protección para el rendimiento académico. Un estudio descriptivo en estudiantes de psicología de una universidad privada. Revista Iberoamericana de Educación, 55 (1), 1-9. |
[6] | López, S. J. & Magyar-Moe, J. L. (2006). A positive psychology that matters. The Counseling Psychologist, 34 (2), 323-330. |
[7] | Seligman, M. E. P. (2003). “La auténtica felicidad: La nueva psicología positiva revoluciona el concepto de felicidad y señala el camino para perseguirla”. Barcelona: Ediciones B. |
[8] | Pereyra, M. R. (1997). Psicología de la esperanza con aplicaciones a la práctica clínica. Buenos Aires: Psicoteca. |
[9] | Snyder, C., Rand, K., King, E., Feldman, D. & Woodward, J. (2002). False hope. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 58 (9), 1003-1022. |
[10] | Pereyra, M. R. & Aragón, A. (2006). Éxito académico, variables de personalidad y de familia: Estudio de seguimiento de 3 años. Revista Mexicana de Psicología, número especial, 217-218. |
[11] | Pereyra, M. R. (2008). Emociones positivas, satisfacción con la vida y esperanza-desesperanza: Estudio transcultural (Haití y México). Revista Mexicana de Psicología, número especial, 114-115. |
[12] | Muñoz, E. N., & Morales, C. (2008). Grupos de autoconocimiento: Recurso para favorecer el desarrollo personal. Fundamentos en Humanidades, 17 (1), 163-178. |
[13] | Millon, T. (1997). MIPS: Inventario Millon de Estilos de Personalidad. Buenos Aires, Paidós. |
[14] | Pereyra, M. R. (2014). Esperanza-Desesperanza TED-TED-R Manual. México: Manual Moderno. |
[15] | Rosenberg, M. (1966). Society and the adolescent self-image. Princeton, NJ: Princeton, University Press. |
[16] | Pereyra, M. R. (2006). Psicología positiva, cómo abrir los horizontes del futuro. Lima: Universidad Peruana Unión. |
[17] | Loue, S. (2006). Aspectos éticos de los estudios multicéntricos. En: F. Lolas, A. Quezada & E. Rodríguez (Eds.). Investigación en salud: Dimensión ética (pp. 273278). Chile: CIEB, Universidad de Chile. |
[18] | Belmar, D., Bontes, M., Levi, Y., Moreno, J. P. & Rehbein, L. (2012). Estrés post-traumático, locus de control y fatalismo en adultos afectados por el terremoto del 27 de febrero en la ciudad de Angol. Salud & Sociedad, 3 (1), 10-18. |
[19] | Cabanach, R. G., Fariña, F., Freire, C., González, P. & del Mar Ferradás, M. (2013). Diferencias en el afrontamiento del estrés en estudiantes universitarios hombres y mujeres. European Journal of Education and Psychology, 6 (1), 19-32. |
[20] | Omar, A. (2005). Las perspectivas del futuro y sus vinculaciones con el bienestar y la resiliencia en adolescentes. Psicodebate, Psicología, cultura y sociedad. Vol. 7. |
[21] | Guzmán-Gómez, C. & Serrano-Sánchez, O. V. (2011). Las puertas del ingreso a la educación superior: El caso del concurso de selección a la licenciatura de la UNAM. Revista de la Educación Superior XL, 1 (157), 31-53. |
[22] | Hamaideh, S. & Hamdan_Masour, A. (2014). Psychological, cognitive and personal variables that predict college academic achievement among health sciences students. Nurse Educ Today, 34, 703-708. |
[23] | Haquin, C., Larraguibel, M. & Cabezas, J. (2004). Factores protectores y de riesgo en salud mental en niños y adolescentes de la ciudad de Calama. Rev Chil Pediatr, 75 (5), 425-433. |
[24] | Schutz, P. & Pekrun, R. (2007). Emotion in education. San Diego CA: Academic Press. |
[25] | Martínez-Correa, A., Reyes del Paso, G., García-León, A. & González-Jareño, M. (2006). Optimismo/pesimismo disposicional y estrategias de afrontamiento del estrés. Psicothema, 18 (1), 66-72. |
APA Style
Norma Yepez, Ileana Petra, Beatriz Zamora, Mariana Fouilloux, Maria Martina Jurado. (2020). Hope and Despair in First-Year Medical Students. American Journal of Applied Psychology, 9(1), 7-13. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20200901.12
ACS Style
Norma Yepez; Ileana Petra; Beatriz Zamora; Mariana Fouilloux; Maria Martina Jurado. Hope and Despair in First-Year Medical Students. Am. J. Appl. Psychol. 2020, 9(1), 7-13. doi: 10.11648/j.ajap.20200901.12
AMA Style
Norma Yepez, Ileana Petra, Beatriz Zamora, Mariana Fouilloux, Maria Martina Jurado. Hope and Despair in First-Year Medical Students. Am J Appl Psychol. 2020;9(1):7-13. doi: 10.11648/j.ajap.20200901.12
@article{10.11648/j.ajap.20200901.12, author = {Norma Yepez and Ileana Petra and Beatriz Zamora and Mariana Fouilloux and Maria Martina Jurado}, title = {Hope and Despair in First-Year Medical Students}, journal = {American Journal of Applied Psychology}, volume = {9}, number = {1}, pages = {7-13}, doi = {10.11648/j.ajap.20200901.12}, url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20200901.12}, eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajap.20200901.12}, abstract = {The transition of high school to university, as well as accustoming to new peers and teachers, requires a more exceptional ability for students to adapt. Besides, as academic demands and stress increase, some students become more overwhelmed with exams or other requirements, causing despair to appear or accentuate. In some cases, this situation is related to their youth, which can reinforce negative attitudes, as well as anxiety and depression or even, make them feel like they made a wrong decision about choosing their career. This study aims to know the characteristics of hope and despair in first-year medical students that are about to finish the school year. On the other hand, it was necessary to adapt and validate the clinic characteristics of the Hope-Despair Test of Mario Ramón Pereyra to the student population, including a factorial analysis. Results of the factor analysis of the Hope scale, with 11 items, showed a .825 Cronbach Alpha, with two factors explaining 47.8% of the variance. Factor one was called Expectancy, while the second was called Coping. The Despair scale showed a .847 Cronbach Alpha, with three factors that explained 59.95% of the variance. Factor one was called Pessimism, the second Distrust, and the third Regression. In the Expectancy factor, most students tend to look forward to the future and believed they could achieve what they propose (80.2%). In the Copping factor, more than half of the students considered that they can keep making an effort despite adversity, are open to new situations, and tend to be productive. In the scale of Despair, although more than half (50 to 85.8%) hoped for the best, just over the third part was afraid that terrible things might happen in their future. These results emphasize that almost a quarter are easily discouraged and depressed; 9.5% reported thinking that their life was meaningless, and 4.6% have thought of ending their lives. Women scored lower in coping than men. Students mentioned the importance of living at home with their parents as well as having mothers who attended higher education. It is stated that the institutions must offer support to students who tend to despair.}, year = {2020} }
TY - JOUR T1 - Hope and Despair in First-Year Medical Students AU - Norma Yepez AU - Ileana Petra AU - Beatriz Zamora AU - Mariana Fouilloux AU - Maria Martina Jurado Y1 - 2020/02/11 PY - 2020 N1 - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20200901.12 DO - 10.11648/j.ajap.20200901.12 T2 - American Journal of Applied Psychology JF - American Journal of Applied Psychology JO - American Journal of Applied Psychology SP - 7 EP - 13 PB - Science Publishing Group SN - 2328-5672 UR - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20200901.12 AB - The transition of high school to university, as well as accustoming to new peers and teachers, requires a more exceptional ability for students to adapt. Besides, as academic demands and stress increase, some students become more overwhelmed with exams or other requirements, causing despair to appear or accentuate. In some cases, this situation is related to their youth, which can reinforce negative attitudes, as well as anxiety and depression or even, make them feel like they made a wrong decision about choosing their career. This study aims to know the characteristics of hope and despair in first-year medical students that are about to finish the school year. On the other hand, it was necessary to adapt and validate the clinic characteristics of the Hope-Despair Test of Mario Ramón Pereyra to the student population, including a factorial analysis. Results of the factor analysis of the Hope scale, with 11 items, showed a .825 Cronbach Alpha, with two factors explaining 47.8% of the variance. Factor one was called Expectancy, while the second was called Coping. The Despair scale showed a .847 Cronbach Alpha, with three factors that explained 59.95% of the variance. Factor one was called Pessimism, the second Distrust, and the third Regression. In the Expectancy factor, most students tend to look forward to the future and believed they could achieve what they propose (80.2%). In the Copping factor, more than half of the students considered that they can keep making an effort despite adversity, are open to new situations, and tend to be productive. In the scale of Despair, although more than half (50 to 85.8%) hoped for the best, just over the third part was afraid that terrible things might happen in their future. These results emphasize that almost a quarter are easily discouraged and depressed; 9.5% reported thinking that their life was meaningless, and 4.6% have thought of ending their lives. Women scored lower in coping than men. Students mentioned the importance of living at home with their parents as well as having mothers who attended higher education. It is stated that the institutions must offer support to students who tend to despair. VL - 9 IS - 1 ER -