Adaptation to university life, fear of loneliness, and depression in first-year students at a private university in the Peruvian Amazon: a structural equation model
Introduction The transition to university is a period of heightened psychological vulnerability. This study aimed to examine the association between adaptation to university life, fear of loneliness, and depression in Peruvian first-year university students. Methods A quantitative cross-sectional st...
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2026
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| author | Rosa Gebol-Checàn Gianella Ascorbe-Peña Royer Miguel-Mariño Calixto Tapullima-Mori Julio Cjuno Jhordan Jhonny Mayta Llanos |
| author_browse | Calixto Tapullima-Mori Gianella Ascorbe-Peña Jhordan Jhonny Mayta Llanos Julio Cjuno Rosa Gebol-Checàn Royer Miguel-Mariño |
| author_facet | Rosa Gebol-Checàn Gianella Ascorbe-Peña Royer Miguel-Mariño Calixto Tapullima-Mori Julio Cjuno Jhordan Jhonny Mayta Llanos |
| author_sort | Rosa Gebol-Checàn |
| collection | Producción científica |
| description | Introduction The transition to university is a period of heightened psychological vulnerability. This study aimed to examine the association between adaptation to university life, fear of loneliness, and depression in Peruvian first-year university students. Methods A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted with 345 participants selected through non-probability convenience sampling at a single private university in the Peruvian Amazon. The Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire, the Brief Scale of Fear of Loneliness, and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 were administered, and data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). Results The proposed model showed an adequate fit [ χ ² (516) = 1,478, p < 0.001, CFI = 0.940, RMSEA = 0.074, SRMR = 0.069]. Personal-emotional adjustment ( β = 0.49, p < 0.001) and social adjustment (β = 0.29, p = 0.003) were positively associated with fear of loneliness, whereas academic adjustment ( β = −0.34, p < 0.001) and institutional adjustment ( β = −0.22, p = 0.001) were negatively associated; in turn, fear of loneliness was positively related to depression (β = 0.81, p < 0.001). Significant gender differences were found in institutional adjustment [ t (343) = 2.597, p = 0.010, d = 0.29] and personal-emotional adjustment [ t (343) = 3.076, p = 0.002, d = 0.34], with women reporting higher levels than men. Discussion The findings position fear of loneliness as a key affective link between first-year students’ adjustment to university and their depressive symptoms, suggesting that early detection and intervention programs focused on adjustment, implemented during the first year, could help mitigate depression in this population. |
| format | Article |
| id | openalex:W7221763088 |
| institution | UPeU |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
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| spelling | openalex:W7221763088Adaptation to university life, fear of loneliness, and depression in first-year students at a private university in the Peruvian Amazon: a structural equation modelRosa Gebol-ChecànGianella Ascorbe-PeñaRoyer Miguel-MariñoCalixto Tapullima-MoriJulio CjunoJhordan Jhonny Mayta Llanoscollege adjustmentfear of lonelinessdepressionfirst-year studentstransition to higher educationsocial adaptationacademic adjustmentinstitutional adaptationpersonal-emotional adjustmentgender differencesPeruvian Amazonprivate university studentsStudent Stress and CopingHigher Education Research StudiesHealth and Well-being StudiesIntroduction The transition to university is a period of heightened psychological vulnerability. This study aimed to examine the association between adaptation to university life, fear of loneliness, and depression in Peruvian first-year university students. Methods A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted with 345 participants selected through non-probability convenience sampling at a single private university in the Peruvian Amazon. The Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire, the Brief Scale of Fear of Loneliness, and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 were administered, and data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). Results The proposed model showed an adequate fit [ χ ² (516) = 1,478, p < 0.001, CFI = 0.940, RMSEA = 0.074, SRMR = 0.069]. Personal-emotional adjustment ( β = 0.49, p < 0.001) and social adjustment (β = 0.29, p = 0.003) were positively associated with fear of loneliness, whereas academic adjustment ( β = −0.34, p < 0.001) and institutional adjustment ( β = −0.22, p = 0.001) were negatively associated; in turn, fear of loneliness was positively related to depression (β = 0.81, p < 0.001). Significant gender differences were found in institutional adjustment [ t (343) = 2.597, p = 0.010, d = 0.29] and personal-emotional adjustment [ t (343) = 3.076, p = 0.002, d = 0.34], with women reporting higher levels than men. Discussion The findings position fear of loneliness as a key affective link between first-year students’ adjustment to university and their depressive symptoms, suggesting that early detection and intervention programs focused on adjustment, implemented during the first year, could help mitigate depression in this population.Articlehttps://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1935089https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1935089/pdfW7221763088enFrontiers in Psychology1664-10782026-10-14 |
| spellingShingle | college adjustment fear of loneliness depression first-year students transition to higher education social adaptation academic adjustment institutional adaptation personal-emotional adjustment gender differences Peruvian Amazon private university students Student Stress and Coping Higher Education Research Studies Health and Well-being Studies Rosa Gebol-Checàn Gianella Ascorbe-Peña Royer Miguel-Mariño Calixto Tapullima-Mori Julio Cjuno Jhordan Jhonny Mayta Llanos Adaptation to university life, fear of loneliness, and depression in first-year students at a private university in the Peruvian Amazon: a structural equation model |
| title | Adaptation to university life, fear of loneliness, and depression in first-year students at a private university in the Peruvian Amazon: a structural equation model |
| title_full | Adaptation to university life, fear of loneliness, and depression in first-year students at a private university in the Peruvian Amazon: a structural equation model |
| title_fullStr | Adaptation to university life, fear of loneliness, and depression in first-year students at a private university in the Peruvian Amazon: a structural equation model |
| title_full_unstemmed | Adaptation to university life, fear of loneliness, and depression in first-year students at a private university in the Peruvian Amazon: a structural equation model |
| title_short | Adaptation to university life, fear of loneliness, and depression in first-year students at a private university in the Peruvian Amazon: a structural equation model |
| title_sort | adaptation to university life fear of loneliness and depression in first year students at a private university in the peruvian amazon a structural equation model |
| topic | college adjustment fear of loneliness depression first-year students transition to higher education social adaptation academic adjustment institutional adaptation personal-emotional adjustment gender differences Peruvian Amazon private university students Student Stress and Coping Higher Education Research Studies Health and Well-being Studies |
| topic_facet | college adjustment fear of loneliness depression first-year students transition to higher education social adaptation academic adjustment institutional adaptation personal-emotional adjustment gender differences Peruvian Amazon private university students Student Stress and Coping Higher Education Research Studies Health and Well-being Studies |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1935089 https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1935089/pdf |
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