Effects of Interpersonal Relational Role Analysis on Nursing Students' Depressive Symptoms and Coping Styles

Aim and Design Aiming to investigate the effects of Interpersonal Relational Role Analysis (IRRA) on nursing students' depressive symptoms and coping styles, this study was conducted with randomized controlled, pre-test-post-test control group design and follow-up test patterns.

Research population and sample The study was conducted in the 2018-2019 academic year (November 2018 - April 2019). The research population comprised second-year nursing students studying at two different state universities in the 2018-2019 academic year (n=385). Since the researcher had an instructional relationship with the first-, third-, and fourth-year students, the study was performed with the second-year students. The number of people to be included in the groups was calculated in the G*Power (3.1.9.2) package program based on a research. As a result of the power analysis with an effect size of 0.7, a power of 80%, and an alpha level (probability of making a type I error) of 0.05, the sample size was calculated as a total of 16 students (8 in the intervention and 8 in the control group). Considering the possibility of drop-outs during the study, the research was conducted with a total of 20 students (10 in the intervention and 10 in the control group). Effective implementation of IRRA requires interaction among the group members; therefore, the intervention group was composed of students studying in the same class. To prevent interaction between the control group and the intervention group, the control group was composed of students studying at a different state university in the same city with the same education program. The students who met the inclusion criteria and agreed to participate in the study were assigned to the intervention and control groups with the Research Randomizer program. Randomization was performed by a researcher who was not included in the research. To make the study a single-blind study, students were not informed about the group to which they were assigned.

Inclusion/exclusion criteria Inclusion criteria were as follows: (a) being a nursing student at the university during the research (November 2018-April 2019), (b) not having any disability that would cause difficulties in filling in the data collection tools or during sessions, (c) scoring scores indicating mild to moderate depression from the Beck Depression Inventory, (d) agreeing to participate in the research, and (e) being over 18 years old. Exclusion criteria were as follows: (a) scoring scores indicating severe depression from the Beck Depression Inventory (severe depression requires psychopharmacological treatment).

Data Collection Tools Sociodemographic Characteristics Form This form, developed by the researchers, contains questions about students' sociodemographic characteristics such as age, gender, marital status, economic status, and parental educational status.

Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) The inventory consists of 21 self-report items that allow evaluating the severity of depressive symptoms rather than the diagnosis of depression. The total score obtained from the scale is evaluated, each item is scored between 0 and 3, and there are no reverse-scored items on the scale. 0-9 points indicate probably no depression, 10-16 points mild depression levels, 17-24 points moderate depression levels, and 25 and above points severe depression. The above-mentioned classification was used in this study. Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient of the scale was calculated as 0.74.