Childhood Adversity

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Background: University students are being diagnosed with more severe psychological problems as compared to the previous generations. These conditions include depression which can be have detrimental implications various aspects of students’ lives including their academic performances. It is essential to appreciate the role of predictor factors such as early life stressors and their impact on academic excellence. The predictor factors and their role in relation to students’ mental health and well being is a subject that remains largely unexplored among students in United Kingdom universities. This includes Durham University’s student population.
Aim: To explore the relationship between childhood adversity and depression among university students
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Studies suggest that there is a strong correlation between childhood adversity and dissociation. Or instance, one study suggests that dissociative symptoms among adolescents are exceptionally related to early childhood adversity. These forms of adversity include physical abuse, neglect and psychological torment. The study further found the relationship between dissociative symptoms and abusive histories or stressors during childhood (S. E Perzow, 2013). Dissociative symptoms can also have detrimental implications when it comes to influencing academic performances (S. E Perzow, …show more content…
According to the findings, despite having encountered childhood adversity, resilient subjects are protected against detrimental long term impacts of neglect and child abuse on major depression (A. Schulz, 2014). Furthermore, adolescents who engage in supportive and intimate interpersonal relationships, and those who are active in their communities and extracurricular activities are less likely to develop depression (Z. Santini, 2015).Such practices during different stages of life may enhance coping abilities besides increasing the level of resilience to mental health problems. This will in turn enhance people’s psychological well being. A 2014 review involving 51 studies examined the relationship between depression and social relationships. Majority of the findings asserted that social relationships act as protective factors. In other words, strong attachment to supportive relationships and activities enhance individuals’ resilience. Subsequently, this reduces the risk of developing depression in addition to alleviating depression’s potential implications (Z. Santini,

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