Levels Of Despair Research Articles

Despair and Voter Turnout in the United States.

Deaths of despair, a term used to capture rising mortality rates among Americans who appear to be suffering from growing mental and physical distress, have received added attention from those seeking to understand this disturbing trend. Yet it is unclear how, if at all, despair influences the political behavior of the people and communities where it is most prominent. The authors contribute to the health and politics literature by examining whether personal and community-level despair shapes political participation. The authors examine the relationship between despair and voter turnout using novel data at both the aggregate and individual levels. First, a custom survey is used to test whether despair is associated with individual-level voter participation in several recent elections. Second, a new measure of community despair is developed at the county level that spans nearly 20 years to assess whether there is a relationship between despair and voter turnout in U.S counties. The results suggest that higher levels of despair lead to lower turnout rates at both the individual and community levels. This study suggests that the effects of experiencing despair are far reaching and shape political behavior among individuals and within communities.

Effectiveness of educational training courses aimed at developing spiritual intelligence and reducing anxiety and depressive disorders among students

Introduction. Spiritual Intelligence plays a pivotal role in mitigating depression and irrational thoughts, significantly contributing to improved student achievement. This research aims to determine whether or not spiritual intelligence can help college students deal with mental health issues like depression and illogical thinking while simultaneously boosting their academic performance. The sample of the study and methods. The study sample comprised of (62) male and female university students, and they were randomly distributed into two groups: controlling and experimental. Two scales were used: The scale of depression where its items were distributed on four dimensions, are bodily dimension, verbal dimension, the withdrawal dimension, and the psychological dimension, and the scale of irrationality thinking, it had been prepared and joined (60) statements measuring irrational thinking to emphasize the validity of the content. Results. The results show that following the intervention, there were notable improvements in the experimental group's levels of despair and irrational thinking. After the intervention, the average depression score for the experimental group dropped from 90.41 to 67.13, a statistically significant decrease. The control group's decline was less pronounced, falling from 87.85 to 84.26. The average scores for irrational thinking in the experimental group fell from 201.65 to 153.92, while in the control group they were mostly unchanged. It is worth mentioning that there was a more notable decline in depression in females as compared to males. Among college students, the survey found an average spiritual intelligence level of 3.38, with variations noted according to gender and academic performance. Academic success is strongly predicted with critical existential thinking (R2 =5.6%), according to regression research. Practical significance. This study presents important findings regarding the potential of spiritual intelligence to help college students cope with mental health challenges such as sadness and illogical thinking. This study offers important information for mental health practitioners and educators since it shows that spiritual intelligence can lower depression scores and illogical thoughts. Based on the results, student support programs that include interventions focused on spiritual intelligence may help students' mental health and academic performance. For schools, this could mean providing a more all-encompassing plan to ensure their pupils thrive in school.

Burden of Care, Depression, and Anxiety Among Family Caregivers of People With Dementia.

There are many challenges that entail caring for an individual with dementia, affecting not only the individual with the condition but also their caregivers. This can lead to increased burden, frustration, and depression among those taking care of them. A research gap exists concerning the care of people with dementia in Egypt, particularly regarding the mental health of caregivers. Limited studies have been conducted in Egypt, particularly focusing on the mental health of caregivers. This lack highlights the need to understand the prevalence and impact of caregiver burden in this population. The research aimed to evaluate the burden of dementia, levels of depression, and anxiety among family caregivers of individuals with dementia. A cross-sectional study was conducted at a geriatric unit clinic of a psychiatric hospital in Cairo University, Egypt. Caregiver burden, anxiety, and depression were assessed using questionnaires. These questionnaires included the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI), Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7), and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), together with demographic data on the patients and caregivers. The majority of the 141 participants (73% (n = 103)) were female, mostly daughters, with an average age of 40 years. Approximately 50% (n = 71) of the subjects exhibited mild to moderate burden, whereas 30% (n = 43) showed moderate to severe burden. About 31% (n = 44) of the subjects exhibited symptoms of moderate depression, whereas 9% (n = 13) had symptoms of severe depression. Furthermore, almost 43% (n = 60) of caregivers exhibited a moderate level of anxiety. Furthermore, a significant association was seen between caregiver burden and the presence of anxiety and depression. This study showed a substantial burden in providing care, elevated levels of despair, and anxiety among caregivers of PWD. The findings highlight how important it is to develop targeted therapies and support systems in order to lessen the load on caregivers, advance their mental health, and improve overall care for both caregivers and their patients in Egypt. Policy-makers should prioritize investing in dementia-related support systems and services to empower caregivers and improve the quality of life for both caregivers and their patients.

The Prevalence of Depression Among Medical Staff During The COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: Medical professionals' psychological health has been significantly damaged by the COVID-19 pandemic, with nurses being a particularly susceptible group. The purpose of this study is to assess the prevalence of depression among healthcare professionals during the pandemic, investigate risk variables, and provide suitable supportive treatments. Objective: This research combines data from 11 studies involving 424 healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses, and others. The prevalence of depression and associated variables in these professions during the COVID-19 outbreak are examined. Methods: Data were gathered from many study initiatives that covered the 2020 to 2023 time period. In these research, the Impact of Events Scale Revised (IES-R), the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) were used to assess post-traumatic stress, depression, and stress levels. The study looked into demographic variables, individuals' mental health backgrounds, and aspects connected to their jobs in the healthcare industry. Results: COVID-19 pandemic led to 19% severe depression symptoms in healthcare professionals, with females, younger workers, and nursing professionals more susceptible. Social support strongly influences the results of mental health. Conclusion: Medical staff's mental health has been severely impacted by the COVID-19 epidemic, with nurses experiencing increased levels of despair and anxiety. Gender disparities in mental health outcomes highlight the need for targeted support for female healthcare workers. Improving working conditions and strengthening social support networks are essential steps in addressing these mental health challenges. To fully understand the long-term consequences on the mental health of healthcare workers, taking into consideration cultural and socioeconomic factors, further longitudinal study is needed. Offering culturally sensitive mental health support is pivotal for the welfare of healthcare workers.

Factors Influencing Despair, Self-blame, and Acceptance Among Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): A Malaysian Perspective.

Accepting and adapting to the child's diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can be challenging for parents. We aimed to assess domains of parental adjustment namely despair, self-blame, and acceptance among parents whose children were diagnosed with ASD. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 111 parents of children with autism who attended Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit (CAPU), in a university teaching hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Sociodemographic profiles of both parents and children were gathered. Parental adjustment focusing on parental self-blame, despair and acceptance were assessed using self-reported questionnaires namely Adjustment to the Diagnosis of Autism (ADA). Higher level of despair was associated with parents who have medical illness (β = 0.214, p = 0.016) and children who received antipsychotic medications (β = 0.329, p < 0.001). Parents with tertiary education (β = -0.207, p = 0.023) and those with autistic child attended school (β = -0.200, p = 0.037) have lower level of despair. Parents with medical illness (β = 0.245, p = 0.008), child receiving antipsychotic medications (β = 0.251, p = 0.005), Chinese ethnicity (β = 0.185, p = 0.04), and child's gender (β = 0.283, p = 0.003) were significantly associated with higher level of self-blame. Lower acceptance was found among Chinese parents (β = -0.264, p = 0.005) while married parents had higher acceptance levels (β = 0.215, p = 0.022). Parental adjustment involving domains of despair, self-blame, and acceptance were significantly associated with ethnicity of parents, educational level, parents' marital status and medical illness, as well as the ASD children's schooling status and type of medications used.

Women pregnant after previous perinatal loss: relationships between adult attachment, shame, and prenatal psychological outcomes

ABSTRACT Background Insecure adult attachment, shame, self-blame, and isolation following perinatal loss place bereaved women at risk of adverse psychological outcomes, which can impact child and family outcomes. To date, no research has considered how these variables continue to influence women’s psychological health in pregnancy subsequent to loss. Objective This study explored associations between prenatal psychological adjustment (less grief and distress) and adult attachment, shame, and social connectedness, in women pregnant after loss. Method Twenty-nine pregnant Australian women accessing a Pregnancy After Loss Clinic (PALC) completed measures of attachment styles, shame, self-blame, social connectedness, perinatal grief, and psychological distress. Results Four 2-step hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed adult attachment (secure/avoidant/anxious; Step 1), shame, self-blame, and social connectedness (Step 2) explained 74% difficulty coping, 74% total grief, 65% despair, and 57% active grief. Avoidant attachment predicted more difficulty coping and higher levels of despair. Self-blame predicted more active grief, difficulty coping, and despair. Social connectedness predicted lower active grief, and significantly mediated relationships between perinatal grief and all three attachment patterns (secure/avoidant/anxious). Conclusions Although avoidant attachment and self-blame can heighten grief in pregnancy after loss, focusing on social connectedness may be a helpful way for prenatal clinicians to support pregnant women during their subsequent pregnancy – and in grief.

Pharmacological activation of the amygdala, but not single prolonged footshock-induced acute stress, interferes with cue-induced motivation toward food rewards in rats.

In the face of threats, animals adapt their behaviors to cope with the situation. Under such circumstances, irrelevant behaviors are usually suppressed. In this study, we examined whether food-seeking motivation would decrease under activation of the amygdala, an important nucleus in the regulation of stress response in the central nervous system, or after a physical acute stress session. In Experiment 1, we pharmacologically activated the basolateral nucleus (BLA) or the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) before a cue-induced reinstatement test in rats. Our results showed that activation of the BLA or the CeA abolished cue-induced motivation toward food rewards, while locomotor activity and free food intake were not affected. In Experiments 2 and 3, we further assessed anxiety and despair levels, as well as cue-induced reinstatement, after a single prolonged footshock-induced acute stress in rats. Behaviorally, acute stress did not affect anxiety level, despair level, or cue-induced motivation toward food rewards. Physiologically, there was no difference in cellular activities of the amygdala immediately after acute stress. To conclude, our results suggested that pharmacological activation of the amygdala decreased cue-induced motivation toward food reward. However, physiological acute stress did not immediately interfere with the negative emotions, motivation, or amygdala activities of the animals.

Grief after Pandemic Loss: Factors Affecting Grief Experiences (the CO-LIVE Study)

It has been suggested that grief after losing a significant other person during the COVID-19 pandemic is more severe than before the pandemic. However, little is known about the factors associated with COVID-19-related grief. This study aims to examine whether grief among relatives of people who died during the first COVID-19 wave was associated with factors such as (in)sufficient opportunity to be with the dying person, relatives’ appreciation of how the person died, and “unfinished business” between the bereaved and the deceased. The study involved 200 Dutch relatives who had lost a person during the pandemic. Grief was measured with the Hogan Despair subscale. Data were analyzed using correlations and multivariable regression analysis. Our findings revealed that two-thirds of bereaved relatives reported that they had not had sufficient opportunity to be with the dying person in the final days. However, this experience was not significantly correlated with despair. A negative appreciation of the dying process and remaining unfulfilled wishes as part of “unfinished business” between the dying person and their relative were associated with higher levels of despair, particularly among partners. It is crucial to ensure that relatives can experience good end-of-life care for their dying loved one and be enabled to resolve family issues, to mitigate the impact of the pandemic.

The approach of psychoemotional disorders în oncological patients

The diagnosis of cancer remains a devastating diagnosis, an emotional catastrophe that prevents the functioning of important coping mechanisms created during life, it is a blow that destroys the self-image of any person. The purpose of the study is to determine the level of despair in oncology patients at the diagnostic stage. The study was of a cross-sectional descriptive type, using scales, inventories and standardized psychological evaluation questionnaires applied to primary hospitalized patients (diagnosis/psychological screening stage). The study group included 52 patients. The psychotherapeutic intervention program proved to be effective in terms of functional thinking, sense of self-efficacy, and adaptive coping.

Sex differences in behavioral traits related with high sensitivity to the reinforcing effects of cocaine

Cocaine is the most prevalent illegal stimulant drug in Europe among the adult population. Its abuse is characterized by a faster substance abuse disorder (SUD) development than other drugs, with high vulnerability to relapse. However, there does not exist an effective treatment for cocaine dependence. Sex differences have been reported in psychological disorders including SUD. For this reason, it is essential to identify risk factors that predict susceptibility or resilience to cocaine addiction for the development of effective prevention strategies considering sex differences. In the present study, the main objective was to determine more sensitive phenotypes to the conditioned reinforcing effects of cocaine in both sexes. Anxiety-like behavior and the locomotor response to novelty were evaluated in the elevated plus maze, and despair in the tail suspension test, as well as vulnerability traits linked with a high sensitivity to the reinforcing effects of a subthreshold dose of cocaine (1 mg/kg) in the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm in male and female mice. Our results indicated that only female mice with high anxiety, low locomotor response to novelty or low despair levels acquired CPP induced by cocaine, while male mice with low anxiety, high locomotor response to novelty or high despair levels presented a higher susceptibility to the rewarding effects of cocaine than others. These sex differences in the results reveal an opposite pattern in males and females on the relationship between anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors and cocaine vulnerability, demonstrating the need to include female mice in preclinical studies.

The primary care physicians' despair levels: Original research article.

The profession of medicine is very depressing both mentally and physically. There were studies conducted to investigate the reasons of depression and burnout. Hopelessness leads to depression and may be it is the first sign. The aim of our study is to determine the despair levels of primary care physicians. This research is a descriptive study. The study conducted with family physicians and Beck Hopelessness Scale was applied. Statistical analysis of the data was performed using IBM SPSS 23. 40.9% of those without children, 48.9% of those with chronic diseases, 47% of those who had been subjected to violence and 53.5% of those who are not satisfied with working in the primary care received severe hopelessness scores, and these score were significant (P<.05). The dissatisfied aspects of Family Medicine System should be examined in detail, and necessary measures should be taken against violence, which is a common problem in the whole healthcare sector. In this way, employee satisfaction and therefore patient satisfaction can be achieved.

Food Insecurity in an Urban Pregnancy Cohort.

Food insecurity is a prominent problem and has been implicated in adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. This study aims to describe the food insecure population in an urban academic health center perinatal cohort. We enrolled 451 postpartum inpatients at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center who completed a questionnaire and were then categorized as food insecure based on U.S. Department of Agriculture standardized survey questions. Generalized linear models estimated the relative influence of maternal characteristics on food insecurity. Among the study population (n = 426), 18.6% (95% confidence interval: 15.2-22.4%) were classified as food insecure. Factors with increased adjusted relative risk on food insecurity include annual household income <$40,000, obesity, and smoking. Food insecure women also reported lower levels of love, satisfaction, and joy, and higher levels of despair. We recommend the use of a validated screening tool on all pregnant women with the associated psychosocial stressors and social determinants of health. · Food insecurity is prevalent among pregnant women.. · Nearly one in five women (18.6%) in the study cohort were classified as food insecure.. · Food insecure pregnant women were more likely to have additional risks for adverse health outcomes..

Humans' Ability to Assess Emotion in Dog Barks Only Slightly Affected by their Country of Residence, a Replication of Pongracz et al. (2005) in a Portuguese Sample

An original experiment by Pongrácz et al. (2005) showed that Hungarian listeners were able to categorize recordings of dog barks recorded in various contexts above chance level and assessed the barking dogs’ emotional state in accordance with these contexts. The present study sought to replicate this experiment in a Portuguese sample. Similar to Hungarians, Portuguese dog owners and non-owners rated the barks in accordance with their specific social contexts (e.g., a dog left alone is most probably in fearful state instead of a playful one), and correctly categorized territorial and separation barks above chance level. Similar error patterns were observed across subjects from the two countries. The Portuguese participants, however, were less successful in categorizing barks than the Hungarians. Additionally, results showed both sex and dog ownership effects. Women from both countries tended to attribute higher levels of despair to all bark recordings. Moreover, within the Portuguese sample, dog-owners were generally more accurate in categorizing the recordings than non-owners. Overall, the results of our replication study, besides supporting the universality of vocal emotion recognition in mammals, calls attention to the possibility of country/culture- and also individual-specific effects on human perception and understanding of nonhuman vocalizations.

Tilting at windmills? Pastorally inhabiting the hopelessness of prison life as a researching practitioner

ABSTRACT This article invites the reader to explore aspects of a world largely unknown to most people – prison life. Judging from the tone and content of many media reports, despite there being over 79,000 people in custody within 117 prisons across England and Wales public knowledge about the world behind bars is ill-informed. This paper is a pastoral exploration of the lived experience of a particular group of men serving an especially cruel sentence. They are held indeterminately, not knowing if or when they will ever be released. Even if released they will be under a supervision licence for 99 years (life), with recall to prison hanging over them for the slightest infringement of their release conditions. Such indeterminacy is known to corrode hope, diminish humanity and often leads to tragic outcomes. In the face of a level of despair that might render pastoral practice impossibly challenging, a hope-fostering humane regard is formulated out of a reflective dialogue between qualitatively acquired and analysed life-histories and a theological understanding of God’s loving intent.

Anjiotensin Dönüştürücü Enzim İnhibitörü ya da Anjiotensin Reseptör Blokörü Kullanan Kardiyovasküler Hastalarda COVID-19 Pandemisinin Sosyal, Psikolojik ve Klinik Etkileri

Objective: The heart expresses angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE)-2 that makes it vulnerable to severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2. Besides ACE inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) are used for cardiovascular diseases. Although no significant increase in the risk of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) infection and no increase in the severity of disease in patients receving ACE inhibitor/ARB therapy were shown, it has been noticed that some patients have tendency to stop the use of these agents. The aim of this study is to determine the behavior attitude of the cardiovascular outpatients during pandemic who use ACE inhibitor/ARB and to asses the impact of COVID19 on them. Material and Methods: One hundred outpatients were included. A survey questioning the social, psychological and the clinical implications of COVID-19 was applied to volunteers. To measure the anxiety and despair levels, Beck scorings were used. Results: A small number of patients stopped using ACE inhibitors/ARBs. Severe hopelessness and severe anxiety levels were seen in a few patient. Gender, fear of getting sick, thinking to have enough information about COVID-19 and accessibilty to cardiovascular drugs were the factors affecting the Beck scores. Social distancing and cleaning hands are stated as the best measures for protection. Most of the patients preferred primary health clinics for routine controls and a few patient had knowledge about tele-medicine. Conclusion: Although a confusion has occured in the public about the use of ACE inhibitors/ARBs, drug release rates were found to be low. The anxiety and disparity levels are subsantially not severe. But it is still important to continue informing patients about the precautions and the use of tele-medicine.

Despairing Communities in the United States

While the United States enjoys aggregate economic growth, the fruits are not shared equally across communities. While there has been numerous news coverage about the despair of US communities recently, there has been little empirical study on what socio-economic factors affect the level of despair. In this paper, we collect US county-level data and construct an index of despair for each county, with mean zero and a standard deviation of 1. We then run regressions with the despair index as the dependent variable, test how the number of social associations in a county affects the level of despair. We find that counties with higher social associations per capita have a lower level of despair, numerically, we find that a one standard deviation increase of associations per 10,000 people reduces the despair variable by 0.14-0.2 points. This result remains robust under different specifications of the model. We explain this relationship by saying that social associations allow more interactions with other individuals, and less need to indulge in self-destructive activities, which in turn reduces the level of despair in the county.

Sağlık Hizmetleri Meslek Yüksekokulu Son Sınıf Öğrencilerinin İş Bulma Endişeleri ve Umutsuzluk Düzeyleri

Purpose: The objective of this research is to determine the employment concerns, affecting factors and levels of despair of vocational school of health services’ final year students.Methods: The sample of the research consists of final year students studying at Artvin Coruh University Vocational School of Health Services . A survey form defining the descriptive characteristics and the Beck Hopelessness Scale were applied to 230 students included in the study. The SPSS 16.0 package program was used to evaluate the data. The data are expressed in numbers and percentages. T-Test and ANOVA were used in the evaluation of numerical data. Results: 40% of the students are primary and emergency help students, 33.5% are child development, 11.7% are pharmacy services and 14.8% are old-school program students. It has been found that the total hopelessness scores of students, aged 24 or older who chose the program on their own, are significantly low in students who stated that they would find a job in a period shorter than 6 months, who had no concerns about employment and whose education type is an evening education. It has been found that 45.7% of the participants preferred this program because it was their ideal program; 63.5% said that they were interested in the program and 25.2% preferred it in order to have a diploma.Conclusion: It has been found that the level of hopelessness of final year students about finding a job differs significantly according to some parameters. It has been seen that hopelessness scores do not lead to differences between programs. The gender factor and place of stay have not changed the overall hopelessness score significantly. When the estimated time that students think they will get a job gets longer, the total hopelessness score increases

PERCEPTION OF SOCIAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF UNEMPLOYMENT IN THE RUSSIAN SEGMENT OF THE INTERNET

Many Russians, left without work, share their experiences on the Internet. It is interesting to analyze who unemployment chooses as its victims and how these unemployed perceive and assess the consequences of their situation. To answer these questions, a study was conducted using the method of content analysis. The study revealed how the problem of unemployment is reflected in Russian social networks. The intensity of the discussion of this problem in 2018 is increasing. There is a significant difference between the desired and the actual salary in the future workplace. Many applicants are faced a mismatch of skills obtained during their studies at the universities and those required by the employer. A special place in the comments takes the problem of the work experience and the specifics of its understanding by personnel services, management and applicants. An analysis of the comments’ information indicates that men are more dissatisfied with the labour market and inclined to “give up” falling into depression. They see more clearly the problems that hinder their successful employment and often perceive these problems as unsolvable. In general, the perception of the unemployment is related to the recognition of the accident and injustice of getting into the state of the unemployed. Therefore, people specifically create Internet-communities of support, where they share their hardships, but they can not find any valid reason for their current situation. The only rational explanation for this situation seems to be the primary attention in hiring to the kinship and friendship with the candidate or his/her entourage. There is a high level of despair and depression in the comments, which is due to the predominance of the “internal locus of control” in the mentality of Russians: they are used to control the situation in the sphere of work and labour relations. For many years, employment in the country has been very stable, and nowadays situation is seen by them as something inexplicable and uncontrollable.

Comparison of mothers and grandmothers physical and mental health and functioning within 6\xa0months after child NICU/PICU death

BackgroundLosing a child is devastating for parents and grandparents. Family and friends generally focus on comforting and supporting the bereaved parents, unintentionally ignoring the bereaved grandparents. Grandmothers and grandfathers often struggle with wanting to help their adult children (deceased child’s parents) without usurping the parents’ responsibilities and decisions regarding the deceased child. Research on mothers’ and grandmothers’ health at about the same time after the same child’s death in the neonatal or pediatric intensive care unit is lacking. The aim of this study was to compare mothers and grandmothers on physical health, mental health, and functioning in the first 1–6 months after the same child’s death in a neonatal or pediatric intensive care unit.MethodsThis cross-sectional secondary analysis compared 32 mothers with 32 grandmothers of the same 32 deceased children (newborn-6 years). Grandmothers were recruited through these 32 mothers. Most grandmothers and mothers were Hispanic (25%, 34%) or Black (44%, 41%), respectively. Mothers and grandmothers separately completed questions about their Physical Health, Mental Health [depression (Beck Depression Inventory), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD, Impact of Events-R), grief (Hogan Grief Reaction Checklist)], and Functioning (social support [MSPSS] and Employment) since the child’s/grandchild’s death. Paired t-tests and Chi Square tests were used to compare grandmothers with mothers of the same deceased infant/child on their private and separate responses to study measures.ResultsMothers had significantly more acute illnesses than grandmothers. More mothers (63%) than grandmothers (37%) were categorized as clinically depressed. More mothers (69%) than grandmothers (44%) had clinical PTSD. Mothers reported significantly higher levels of despair and detachment than grandmothers. Only 4 mothers and 2 grandmothers were in therapy at the time of interview. Grandmothers and mothers rated their ability to concentrate on their work and their level of social support similarly.ConclusionsMothers had more acute illnesses, more severe depression, and a higher level of grief than grandmothers. However, few received therapy despite their high levels of depressive and PTSD symptoms.

Evaluating Entrepreneurial Characteristics and States of Despair of Nursing Department Students

The aim of the study is to determine the entrepreneurial characteristics and hope and despair levels of students at the Near East University Faculty of Health Sciences. The research population comprises 296 students of the total research population of 310 students were interviewed. In the research, a descriptive survey model was used aiming to determine the entrepreneurial tendencies and despair levels of the students. A questionnaire form consisting of 3 sections, including introductory features, an entrepreneurship scale and Beck’ Depression Inventory were used as the data collection tool. In the second section of the questionnaire, an entrepreneurship scale devised by Iscan and Kaygin in 2011 was used to determine entrepreneurial tendencies of the students participating. Data collected were transferred to electronic media and analysed in a SPSS 21.0 statistical package program. The students generally scored a low Beck’s Depression Scale point and their despair levels were found to be low – in other words, their hope levels were high. The points scored on the scales overall alongside success needs and risk taking extents of students stating their income was higher than their expenditure was found to be statistically significant (p<0.05).