A Research on the Hopelessness Level and Cognitive Distortions of University Students

The aim of this study is to examine the cognitive distortion and hopelessness levels (and three sub-dimensions) of university students in terms of socio-demographic variables. Cognitive distortions have a negative effect on the future expectations of individuals, problem solving methods and adaptation to the environment, causing hopelessness in individuals. For this purpose, 54 undergraduate students were included in the study. The participants were given a 20-items Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS), a 15-items Cognitive Distortion Scale-R (CDS-R), and Personal Information Form with socio demographic information. As a result, low-middle level cognitive distortions (34.94±6.48 points) and low levels of despair (9.88±1.79 points) were observed in undergraduate students. When the relationships between socio-demographic characteristics are examined; there was no significant relationship between the students' hopelessness scores and the sub-dimensions of the test (GID-GIB-MK) and cognitive distortions. There was no significant correlation between hopelessness levels and cognitive distortions of students. The study is intended to be the source of new studies in the area of hopelessness and cognitive distortions