The Relationship between Meaning in Life, Differentiation of Self and Purpose in Life in Students with Symptoms of Depression

Inquiring a Meaning in life is a decisive and full-blooded instinct; The meaning which is unique for oneself and That’s the reason why he is the only one who could and should realize it; because That is the only way, which he-she could be capable to find a Purpose in his-her life. Besides, having Meaning and Purpose in life indicates the independency and Differentiation of self which is also the other meaning of Mental Health.The purpose of this research is to study the Relationship Meaning in Life, Differentiation of Self and Purpose in Life in Students with Symptoms of Depression in the Islamic Azad University branch of Lahijan, Iran. This research is descriptive and correlational type. The statistical population of the study included all the students who have received training in the Islamic Azad University branch of Lahijan in the educational year 2019-2020. The study sample consisted of 120 students who were selected by purposive sampling. Data were collected by Meaning in life questionnaire by Steger and colleague, Differentiation of Self Inventory-Revised (DSI-R) by Skowron and Friedlander, Purpose in life questionnaire by Maholick and Crumbough and Beck depression inventory-II. The data were analyzed through T statistics and Multiple Linear Regression.The results of the research indicated that all of the evaluated correlation coefficients between Life-Meaning and Differentiation-of-Self with Purpose-in-Life was significant in the alpha level of 0.01%. also concerning the quantity of normalized regression coefficient (Beta) for the value of Meaning existence/Meaning investigation, Values such as Meaning in Life positively and significantly anticipate Purpose-in-Life in Students. The quantity of normalized regression coefficient (Beta)… also indicated a significant result.in conclusion, all of the values of Differentiation-of-Self positively and significantly anticipate Purpose-in-Life in Students.

کلیدواژه ها:

meaning in life ، differentiation of self ، purpose in life ، depression.