The Relationship between Social Achievement Goals and Self‑Esteem, Depression and Anxiety among Medical School Students

Abstract

Background: Social achievement goals such as the desire to receive positive feedback from the social environment or avoid negative  feedback are situations that affect an individual’s quality of life and predispose them to mental disorders.

Aim: The aim of this study is to  investigate the relationship between social achievement goals and self-esteem, depression, and anxiety in medical school students.   

Materials and Methods: 400 participants, 201 of whom were female volunteers, between the ages of 18-30, studying at the Faculty of  Medicine were evaluated. Sociodemographic Data Form, Social Achievement Goal Orientation Scale, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Beck  Depression Inventory, and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Inventory Sub-Scale were applied to the participants.

Results: A negative correlation  between social development goals and depression (rs = -0.218, P < 0.001) and anxiety (rs = -0.188, P < 0.001), and a positive correlation  with self-esteem (P = 0.002) were found. A statistically significant and positive correlation between social performance‑avoidance goals and depression (rs = 0.233, P < 0.001) and anxiety (rs = 0.245, P < 0.001), and still statistically significant, and negative relationship with  self‑esteem (P = 0.001) were found. While social performance-approach goals were positively correlated with anxiety (rs = 0.192, P < 0.001)  and depression (rs = 0.108, P = 0.03), no statistically significant correlation was found with self‑esteem (P = 0.129).

Conclusion: It  has been seen that our study generally supports the other studies in the literature concerning the relations between social achievement  goal subgroups and self-esteem, depression, and anxiety in university students. It will be possible to contribute to the findings with  studies encompassing university students from different cities and departments and studies with a large number of participants other  than students.