Rodríguez-Sáez José Luis, Martín-Antón Luis Jorge, Salgado-Ruiz Alfonso, Carbonero-Martín Miguel Ángel
Excellence Research Group GR179 Educational Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Valladolid, Paseo de Belén, 1, Valladolid, 47011, Spain.
Faculty of Psychology, Pontifical University of Salamanca, C/ Compañía, 5, Salamanca, 37002, Spain.
BMC Psychol. 2025 May 20;13(1):531. doi: 10.1186/s40359-025-02804-y.
This study responds to an important research gap around the impact of socioemotional variables and mental health on young emerging adults in the Spanish university context. Although previous research has explored these dynamics in international populations, there is limited knowledge about how these interactions manifest in the Mediterranean cultural model of transition to adulthood, characterised by distinctive socioeconomic and familial factors. This paper not only describes the prevalence of symptoms of psychological distress, but also identifies protective (social support and emotional clarity) and risk (substance use) variables, highlighting the need for specific interventions in Spanish universities.
The sample included 727 students aged 18-29, who completed questionnaires on emerging adulthood, mental health (DASS-21), social support (MSPSS), emotional intelligence (TMMS-24), alcohol (AUDIT-C) and cannabis (CAST) use. This cross-sectional, correlational study used statistical analysis to explore gender differences and predictors of symptomatology.
The results show a high prevalence of symptoms of emotional distress, with more than 55% of students showing symptoms of depression, anxiety or stress. This indicates the presence of these symptoms but does not necessarily imply clinical significance or a formal diagnosis. Gender differences were observed: females showed higher levels of anxiety and stress, while males showed higher levels of alcohol and cannabis use. In addition, social support from friends and certain dimensions of emotional intelligence (emotional clarity and emotional repair) were inversely associated with symptomatology, suggesting a protective role.
This study provides valuable insights into the relationship between emerging adulthood and mental health problems, highlighting the need for interventions in universities that promote emotional well-being and addiction prevention. In addition, the findings highlight the need to promote the development of emotional skills and social support networks to mitigate symptoms such as anxiety, depression and stress.
本研究回应了围绕社会情感变量和心理健康对西班牙大学环境中年轻的新兴成年人的影响这一重要研究空白。尽管先前的研究已在国际人群中探讨了这些动态，但对于这些相互作用如何在地中海成年过渡文化模式中表现出来，所知甚少，该文化模式具有独特的社会经济和家庭因素。本文不仅描述了心理困扰症状的患病率，还确定了保护性（社会支持和情绪清晰度）和风险性（物质使用）变量，强调了西班牙大学进行特定干预的必要性。
样本包括727名年龄在18至29岁之间的学生，他们完成了关于新兴成年、心理健康（抑郁焦虑压力量表-21）、社会支持（多维社会支持量表）、情商（多伦多述情障碍量表-24）、酒精（酒精使用障碍筛查测试-简版）和大麻（大麻使用筛查测试）使用的问卷。这项横断面相关性研究使用统计分析来探讨性别差异和症状学的预测因素。
结果显示情绪困扰症状的患病率很高，超过55%的学生表现出抑郁、焦虑或压力症状。这表明这些症状的存在，但不一定意味着具有临床意义或正式诊断。观察到了性别差异：女性表现出较高的焦虑和压力水平，而男性表现出较高的酒精和大麻使用水平。此外，来自朋友的社会支持以及情商的某些维度（情绪清晰度和情绪修复）与症状学呈负相关关系，表明具有保护作用。
本研究为新兴成年与心理健康问题之间的关系提供了有价值的见解，强调了在大学中进行促进情绪健康和预防成瘾干预的必要性。此外，研究结果凸显了促进情绪技能和社会支持网络发展以减轻焦虑、抑郁和压力等症状的必要性。
