Relationship of Depression, Irrational Faith and the School Adaptation of Elementary School Students

초등학생의 우울성향, 비합리적 신념, 학교적응의 관계

The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in depression, irrational faith and the school adaptation of elementary school students by their sex and region, to provide basic materials to teach children with the likelihood to be depressed by analyzing the correlation of depression, irrational faith and school adaptation, and help them to have healthy emotion and behaviors. To achieve these goals, following agenda were set. First, what are the differences in the depression, the irrational faith and the school adaptation of elementary school students by their sex and region? Second, what is the relationship between the depression characteristics and the irrational faith of elementary school students? Third, what is the relationship between the irrational faith and the school adaptation of elementary school students? Fourth, what is the relationship between the depression characteristics and school adaptation of elementary school students? : To resolve these agenda, the subjects were selected from Grade 6 students from the elementary schools locatec in Suwon and Hwaseong. The jubjects were selected from the two schools in Suwon and three schools in Hwaseong which were randomly chosen. The subjects were 670 in total. 70 insincere answers were excluded from the analysis. Therefore the subjects used in the analysis were 600 in total(150 male and female students in city respectively and 150 male and female students in rural area respectively). The tools used for this study were Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), Irrational Faith Test (over-self-reliance, dichotomy, determinism, over-concern, evasive faith, over dependent faith), School Adaptation Test (Attitudes to teachers and school environments, hobbies and specialties, academic achievements, peer relationship). Materials were processed with the SPSS program for ANOVA and correlation analysis. All the statistical values were verified at .05 level. The followings are the results of the analysis of the collected data. First, in the analysis of depression, there was significant difference between male and female students (F=4.75, p<.05). Female students (X =56.93) showed a little higher value than male students (X =53.83). There was significant difference between regions (F=13.02, p<.001), too. Rural area students (X =57.93) showed higher value than city area students (X =52.82). When analyzing irrational faith, there was significant difference between male and female students (F=S.60, p<.05). Female students (X =81.32) showed a little higher value than male students (X =77.72). There was no significant difference according to regions. When analyzing the school adaptation, there was no significant difference according to either sex or region. Second, depression and irrational faith showed highly positive correlations in all areas. In particular, over concern and evasive faith showed the highest correlation with depression inclination (r=.68, p<.001). When looking into the results by sex and by region, female students (r=.70, p<.001) and the rural area students (r=.69, p<.001) showed higher correlation between depression and irrational faith than male students and city area students (r=.63, p<.001). Additionally, in all areas including by sex and by region, a positive correlation was shown. In all variables such as male students (r=.63, p<.001), female students (r=.72, p<.001), city area students (r=.66, p<.001), and rural area students (r=.69, p<.001), over concern and evasive faith showed the highest correlation with depression inclinations. Third, irrational faith (overall) and its sub factors such as over-self-reliance, dichotomy, determinism, over-concern and evasive faith had significant negative correlations with school adaptation (overall) and its sub factors in the scope of $r=-.27{\sim}-.52$. Determinism out of the sub factors of the irrational faith had the highest negative correlation with school adaptation (overall) and sub factors at the scope of $r=-.37{\sim}-.51$. However, over-self-reliance showed the negative correlation with school adaptation (overall) and its sub factors only partially. When looking into the results by gender, both genders showed significant negative correlation between irrational faith (overall) and its sub factors with school adaptation. Male students showed highly negative correlations with school adaptation (overall) and its sub factors in determinism ($r=-.35{\sim}-52$) and over-concern and evasive faith($r=-.31{\sim}-.51$), and fern ale students showed in over-self-reliance ($r=-.27{\sim}-.45$). However over-self-reliance showed negative correlation with school adaptation and its sub factors only partially. When looking into by region, both city and rural areas showed significant negative correlation between irrational faith (overall) and it sub factors, and school adaptation. Rural areas showed higher negative correlation in irrational faith (overall) ($r=-.39{\sim}-.53$) and over-self-reliance ($r=-.32{\sim}-.44$) and dichotomy ($r=-.28{\sim}-.39$) than city areas. However over-self-reliance showed negative correlation with school adaptation and its sub factors only partially. Fourth, depression and school adaptation showed the negative correlation in all areas. In particular, academic achievements and peer relationship showed the highest negative correlation with depression (r=-.53 p<.001). When looking into the results by sex and by region, female students (r=-.62, p<.001) and rural area students (r=-.61, p<.001) showed higher negative correlation with depression and school adaptation than female students (r=-.56, p<.001) and city area students (r=-.57, p<.001). Although there was negative correlation in all areas by sex and by region, male students (r=-.52, p<.001) and rural area students (r=-.56, p<.001) showed the highest negative correlation in peer relationship and female students (r=-.57, p<.001) and city area students (r=-.56, p<.001) showed the highest negative correlation in academic records. Based on the results of the study, it is proposed to provide elementary school students sho are likely to be depressed very easily with careful counselling and teaching based on the attention and love in school fields so that they can adapt themselves to home, school and society with positive and reasonable thinking.