A Mediation Variable in Relation To Perceived Stres and Adaptation to University Life: Separation Anxiety

This study aimed to investigate the mediator role of separation anxiety symptoms on the relationship between perceived stress and adaptation to university life of students. 269 freshmen participated in the study (86 men, 183 women). Participants completed the University Life Scale, Separation Anxiety Symptoms Inventory and Perceived Stress Scale. Results indicated that there was a positive relation between perceived stress and separation anxiety. Both perceived stress and separation anxiety showed negative relation with adaptation to university life. There was no significant difference between genders for the level of adaptation to university life, adaptation to university environment, emotional adaptation, personal adaptation, adaptation to relationships with opposite sex, academic adaptation and social adaptation. Levels of adaptation to relationships with opposite sex showed differences according to having a romantic relationship or not; however, adaptation to university life, adaptation to university environment, emotional adaptation, personal adaptation, academic adaptation and social adaptation did not. Besides, there were no differences between the levels of adaptation to university life, adaptation to university environment, emotional adaptation, personal adaptation, adaptation to relationships with opposite sex, academic adaptation and social adaptation depending on the place the participant spent most of his/her life. Finally, separation anxiety symptoms had a partial mediation effect on the relationships between perceived stress and adaptation subscales (adaptation to university life, academic adaptation, emotional adaptation and adaptation to relationships with opposite sex).