Levels of Personal Maturity Among the Students of Humanitarian University

Abstract

Introduction. Maturity of personality, their inner world plays a substantial role in health development. For a reason, following the definition by the World Health Organization spirituality is one of human health components. Still, the level of personal maturity of an adult does not always comply with their age and can be lower. Aim is to determine the levels of personal maturity (internal development) of the humanitarian university students and to identify the peculiarities of their distribution depending on gender, duration of studying, specialty, confession of faith, and attitude to religion. Material and methods. 207 students of Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University, average age of the surveyed 19.46 ± 2.12. There were 105 males (50.7%), and 102 females (49.3%). For determination of the levels of personal maturity the questionnaire by Jose Stevens was implemented. There were 5 levels specificated: «baby», «junior», «teen», «young man/woman», and «adult». Results. Among the humanitarian university students of the specialties «physical therapy, ergotherapy» and «physical education and sports», in 62.8% (130/207) cases high levels of personal maturity were identified, in 32.4% (67/207) cases there were low levels. Among one fifth of the students (19.8%; 41/207) the combinations of several levels of personal maturity were identified. It was indicative of the youth’s failure to having an integral idea of their inner world and spirituality. The female students were more internally developed than the male ones, which was indicative of statistically substantial predominance of high levels of personal maturity among them — 66.7%; 68/102 (among the males — 48.6%; 51/105). Ideas of personal maturity among the senior students (the 4th and 5th years of studies) were more accomplished than the ones of the junior students (the 1st and 2nd years of studies). Following religious traditions both by the holders of religious beliefs and not, led to development of higher levels of personal maturity compared to those students not following religious traditions. Conclusions. One third of the humanitarian university students have low level of personal maturity (internal development). According to the level of personal maturity, females prevail over males. The students following religious traditions (the holders of religious beliefs and not) are more internally developed than those not following such traditions.