BREAKUP DISTRESS IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS: A REVIEW.

FIELD, TIFFANY; DIEGO, MIGUEL; PELAEZ, MARTHA; DEEDS, OSVELIA; DELGADO, JEANNETTE

This review covers recent research on breakup distress in university students using the Breakup Distress Scale adapted from the Inventory of Complicated Grief. In the first study, 37% of the variance in Breakup Distress Scale scores was explained by depression, feelings of betrayal, having less time since the breakup and higher relationship ratings. In a second study, intrusive thoughts contributed to 28% of the variance. Depression and sleep disturbances were also related to breakup distress in this sample. Other negative emotions and behaviors included anxiety, anger, disorganized behavior and inferior academic performance. Studies on reasons for breakups revealed that insecurity and loss of intimacy were the most significant problems in those experiencing breakup distress. Although female students typically reported greater breakup distress, the studies are limited in their generalizability because they sampled primarily Hispanic female psychology students. Nonetheless, the data highlight the negative effects of breakup distress for university students.

UNITED States; SEPARATION (Psychology); PSYCHOLOGY of college students; COLLEGE students; PSYCHOLOGICAL distress; DEPRESSION in adolescence; INTIMACY (Psychology); SECURITY (Psychology); VARIANCES

College Student Journal, 2011, Vol 45, Issue 3, p461

0146-3934

Academic Journal