An Investigation on Coping Skills Training Effects on Mental Health Status of University Students

Abstract

<strong><em>Background and Objectives: </em></strong>mental health status has long been under studies by psychologists, physicians, and religious scholars, and it is influenced by a set of physical, social, and cognitive factors. Considering the effectiveness of coping skills training in improving mental health, the current study was carried out to evaluate the effects of coping skills training on improving the mental health of students at Medical University of Ardebil. (numerous studies has shown the effects of coping skills on improvement of mental health status in different populations such as …. Given the importance of mental health in university students, this study was to determine if coping skills training has an improving effect on mental health in this specific population)<br /> <strong><em>Methodology:</em></strong> an experimental research design was applied. The target population of this study included all students ( ) studying at the Medical University of Ardebil in fall semester of 2005-2006 who had scored 23 or higher in the GHQ-28 Questionnaire (which measures four subscales of anxiety, depression, physical symptoms, and social dysfunction). a sample of 80 students were selected through simple random sampling, and then they were randomly assigned to the experimental group (40 participants) and the control group (40 participants). Experimental group underwent a coping skills training twice a week for 4 weeks, while control group received no intervention. Finally, obtained data were analyzed using independent <em>t</em> test.<br /> <strong><em>Findings:</em></strong> the results of this study showed that coping skills training is effective in<br /> Improving the mental health status of students particularly those with symptoms of somatization and anxiety, ( ). However, the effects of coping skills training on reduction of depression and social dysfunction of students were not significant.