La soledad y su relación con la depresión en estudiantes de la Facultad de Psicología de la Universidad de Cuenca durante el período académico septiembre 2025 – febrero 2026

Abstract

The transition from high school to university brings with it several challenges that can affect students' mental health, generating feelings of loneliness that can trigger depressive symptoms. Internationally, multiple studies have demonstrated the relationship between loneliness and depression in university students; however, within the Ecuadorian context, there is a lack of prior research on this issue. The objective of this study is to relate the levels of loneliness and the presence of depressive symptoms in students of the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Cuenca during the academic period of September 2025 – February 2026. A quantitative, correlational, non-experimental, cross-sectional study was conducted. Data collection was carried out using the UCLA Loneliness Scale and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), along with a sociodemographic questionnaire. The sample was non-probabilistic and based on convenience sampling, with a total of 250 participants. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and Pearson's correlation coefficient, using JASP software and Excel. The results revealed a positive and significant relationship between loneliness and depression in psychology students, demonstrating that greater loneliness was associated with greater depression.