Estado del capital psicológico, prevalencia de la depresión y su relación con la autoeficacia académica de estudiantes universitarios de primer ciclo de la ciudad de Loja

Abstract

Abstract: The present research aimed to determine the state of psychological capital, the prevalence of depression, and its relationship with academic self-efficacy among first- year university students in the City of Loja during the 2023-2024 academic year. The methodology had a quantitative approach, with a descriptive, correlational, and cross-sectional scope. The sample consisted of 153 first-year university students from the City of Loja, who were administered the following scales: Ad hoc Sociodemographic Questionnaire, Academic Self-Efficacy Scale (EAVA), Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21), and the Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ-12). The results showed that the psychological capital of the investigated sample scored higher in the dimensions of optimism and hope, with a prevalence of 21% of severe and extremely severe depression and 61.4% presenting a low perception of academic self-efficacy. In conclusion, we found significant negative correlations, between depression and academic self-efficacy, and a significant positive correlation between self-efficacy and psychological capital.