秘鲁亚马孙地区私立大学一年级学生的大学适应、孤独恐惧与抑郁：一项结构方程模型研究

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Psychol.

Sec. Educational Psychology

• 1. Peruvian Union University, Lima, Peru

• 2. Universidad Peruana Unión, Unidad de Posgrado de Psicología, Lima, Perú, Lima, Peru

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the association between adaptation to university life, fear of loneliness, and depression in Peruvian first-year university students. A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted with 345 participants selected through non-probability convenience sampling at a single private university in the Peruvian Amazon; data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results indicated an adequate fit of the proposed model [χ2 (516) = 1478, p < 0.001, CFI = 0.940, RMSEA = 0.074, SRMR = 0.069]. Personal-emotional adjustment (β = 0.49, p < 0.001) and social adjustment (β = 0.29, p =0.003) were positively associated with fear of loneliness, whereas academic adjustment (β = −0.34, p < 0.001) and institutional adjustment (β = −0.22, p = 0.001) were negatively associated, showing inverse associations; in turn, fear of loneliness was positively related to depression (β = 0.81, p < 0.001). The mean comparison analysis revealed significant gender differences in institutional adjustment [t (343) = 2.597, p = 0.010, d = 0.29] and personal-emotional adjustment [t (343) = 3.076, p = 0.002, d = 0.34], with women reporting higher levels than men. Taken together, the findings position the fear of loneliness as a key affective link between first-year students' adjustment to university and their depressive symptoms, suggesting that early detection and intervention programs focused on adjustment, implemented during the first year, could help mitigate depression in this population.

Keywords

Depression, fear of loneliness, first-year students, Peruvian students, university adaptation

Received

11 July 2026

Accepted

25 September 2026

Copyright

© 2026 Gebol-Checàn, Ascorbe-Peña, Miguel-Mariño, Tapullima-Mori, Cjuno and Mayta-Llanos. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: Jhordan Mayta-Llanos

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