Impact of Locus of Control on Mental Health among College Students

Abstract

The research aims to examine the effect of locus of control on mental health among college students. An individual’s “locus” (plural “loci”) can be classified as internal (a belief that one can handle one’s own life outcomes or events) or external (a conviction that life is constrained by outside factors on which the individual has no control). Mental health is a state of mental well-being which enables people to cope with stresses of their life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and also contribute to their community. The study was conducted with 160 college students aged from different colleges and universities of Delhi and Varanasi. The data was collected using Rotter’s locus of control scale (Kumar and Srivastava, 1985)., and Mental health inventory (Jagdish & Srivastava ,1988) which included dimensions, positive self-evaluation, perception of reality, integration of personality, autonomy, goal-oriented attitude, and environmental mastery.  The results indicated that there has been found a significant effect of locus of control on mental health of college students.