Main Article Content
Abstract
This study examines the therapeutic role of interpersonal communication in addressing mental health challenges college students face. This study employs a qualitative descriptive approach, involving in-depth interviews with students to examine the therapeutic role of interpersonal communication in addressing mental health challenges. The findings reveal that interpersonal communication, both with peers and family, serves as a primary support mechanism for alleviating stress and anxiety. Emotional support gained through these interactions fosters social connectedness and emotional relief and aids students in managing academic and personal pressures. However, privacy concerns often pose significant barriers. The study highlights the importance of creating supportive communication environments to enhance the therapeutic potential of interpersonal communication as an informal tool for addressing mental health challenges.
Keywords
Article Details

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Author who publishes in the At-Tarbawi: Jurnal Pendidikan, Sosial dan Kebudayaan ISSN: 2086-9754 (Print), 2086-9754 (Online) agrees to the following terms:
Author retains the copyright and grants the journal the right of first publication of the work simultaneously licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
Read more about the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Licence here: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/.
References
- Agusthia, M., Muchtar, R. S. U., & Ramadhani, D. (2023). Pengaruh edukasi teen mental health first aid terhadap tingkat pengetahuan remaja dalam mengurangi gangguan masalah kesehatan mental di SMAN 3 Batam. Warta Dharmawangsa, 17(1), 147–157.
- Ambarwati, P. D., Pinilih, S. S., & Astuti, R. T. (2019). Gambaran tingkat stres mahasiswa. Jurnal Keperawatan Jiwa, 5(1), 40. https://doi.org/10.26714/jkj.5.1.2017.40-47
- Beck, J. S. (2020). Cognitive behavior therapy: Basics and beyond. Guilford Publications.
- Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2022). Conceptual and design thinking for thematic analysis. Qualitative Psychology, 9(1), 3.
- Butler, N., Quigg, Z., Bates, R., Jones, L., Ashworth, E., Gowland, S., & Jones, M. (2022). The contributing role of family, school, and peer supportive relationships in protecting the mental wellbeing of children and adolescents. School Mental Health, 14(3), 776–788. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-022-09502-9
- Chan, T. J., Yong, W. K., & Harmizi, A. (2020). Usage of whatsapp and interpersonal communication skills among private university students. Journal of Arts & Social Sciences, 3(2), 15–25.
- Cohen, S., & Wills, T. A. (1985). Stress, social support, and the buffering hypothesis. Psychological Bulletin, 98(2), 310.
- Creswell, J. W. (2012). Research design: pendekatan kualitatif, kuantitatif, dan mixed.
- DeVito, J. A., & DeVito, J. (2019). The interpersonal communication books. Instructor, 1(18), 521–532.
- Dewi, G. (2022). Metode penelitian kuantitatif, kualitatif dan mixed methods dalam hukum ekonomi Islam. Metodologi Penelitian Ekonomi Islam.
- Eisenberg, D., Hunt, J., & Speer, N. (2013). Mental health in American colleges and universities. Journal of Nervous & Mental Disease, 201(1), 60–67. https://doi.org/10.1097/NMD.0b013e31827ab077
- Elgar, F. J., Craig, W., & Trites, S. J. (2013). Family dinners, communication, and mental health in Canadian adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Health, 52(4), 433–438. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2012.07.012
- Gómez-Bustamante, E. M., & Cogollo, Z. (2010). Factores predictores relacionados con el bienestar general en adolescentes estudiantes de Cartagena, Colombia. Revista de Salud Pública, 12, 61–70.
- I-NAMHS: Indonesia-national adolescent mental health survey. (2023). https://qcmhr.org/outputs/reports/12-i-namhs-report-bahasa-indonesia
- Kriyantono, R., & Sos, S. (2014). Teknik praktis riset komunikasi. Prenada Media.
- Lima-Serrano, M., MartÃnez-Montilla, J. M., Guerra-MartÃn, M. D., Vargas-MartÃnez, A. M., & Lima-RodrÃguez, J. S. (2018). Factores relacionados con la calidad de vida en la adolescencia. Gaceta Sanitaria, 32(1), 68–71.
- Manczak, E. M., Donenberg, G. R., & Emerson, E. (2018). Can mother–daughter communication buffer adolescent risk for mental health problems associated with maternal depressive symptoms? Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 47(sup1), S509–S519.
- Mitic, M., Woodcock, K. A., Amering, M., Krammer, I., Stiehl, K. A. M., Zehetmayer, S., & Schrank, B. (2021). Toward an integrated model of supportive peer relationships in early adolescence: A systematic review and exploratory meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 589403.
- Mojtabai, R., Stuart, E. A., Hwang, I., Eaton, W. W., Sampson, N., & Kessler, R. C. (2015). Long-term effects of mental disorders on educational attainment in the National Comorbidity Survey ten-year follow-up. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 50(10), 1577–1591. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-015-1083-5
- Moleong, L. J. (2016). Metodologi penelitian kualitatif (Edisi Revisi).
- Panhwar, M., Zubair, M., Riaz, S., Talha, Banin, S., & Taqvi, Z. (2023). Strategies for cultivating a supportive family environment to boost adolescent self-esteem and reduce social anxiety.
- Rizdanti, S., & Akbar, S. (2022). Hubungan religiusitas dengan tingkat stres dalam menyusun skripsi di fakultas kedokteran Universitas Islam Sumatera Utara. Jurnal Kedokteran STM (Sains Dan Teknologi Medik), 5(2), 94–100.
- Roach, A. (2018). Supportive peer relationships and mental health in adolescence: an integrative review. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 39(9), 723–737. https://doi.org/10.1080/01612840.2018.1496498
- Rokom. (2022, October 11). Kemenkes perkuat jaringan layanan kesehatan jiwa di seluruh fasyankes. Https://Sehatnegeriku.Kemkes.Go.Id/. https://sehatnegeriku.kemkes.go.id/baca/umum/20221010/4041246/kemenkes-kembangkan-jejaring-pelayanan-kesehatan-jiwa-di-seluruh-fasyankes/
- Rosmalina, A. (2018). Peran komunikasi interpersonal dalam mewujudkan kesehatan mental seseorang. Prophetic: Professional, Empathy and Islamic Counseling Journal, 1(01). https://doi.org/10.24235/prophetic.v1i01.3479
- Sari, D., & Jelita, J. (2021). Kemampuan literasi anak: bagaimana peran serta orang tua di masa Pandemi Covid-19? At-Tarbawi: Jurnal Pendidikan, Sosial Dan Kebudayaan, 8(2), 160–169. https://doi.org/10.32505/TARBAWI.V8I2.2554
- Shahi, U. (2024). Interpersonal communication and mental health: An impact study of interpersonal communication skills on mental health of youth.
- Smith, R. A., & Applegate, A. (2018). Mental health stigma and communication and their intersections with education. Communication Education, 67(3), 382–393. https://doi.org/10.1080/03634523.2018.1465988
- Solomon, D., & Theiss, J. (2022). Interpersonal communication: Putting theory into practice. Routledge.
- Sugiyono; (2020). Metode penelitian pendidikan pendekatan kuantitatif, kualitatif dan r&d (2nd ed.). Alfabeta. //digilib.unigres.ac.id%2Findex.php%3Fp%3Dshow_detail%26id%3D43
- Wang, F., Lin, L., Lu, J., Cai, J., Xu, J., & Zhou, X. (2020). Mental health and substance use in urban left-behind children in China: A growing problem. Children and Youth Services Review, 116, 105135.
- Watson, E. (2019). The mechanisms underpinning peer support: a literature review. Journal of Mental Health.
- Yubero, S., Navarro, R., Larrañaga, E., Esteban, M., Gutiérrez, J., & Elche, M. (2018). Health contributing factors in higher education students: the importance of family and friends. Healthcare, 6(4), 147.
- Zapf, H., Boettcher, J., Haukeland, Y., Orm, S., Coslar, S., & Fjermestad, K. (2024). A systematic review of the association between parentâ€child communication and adolescent mental health. JCPP Advances, 4(2), e12205.
- Zarnaghash, M., Zarnaghash, M., & Zarnaghash, N. (2013). The relationship between family communication patterns and mental health. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 84, 405–410.