Depression among undergraduate students of Phenikka University in 2023 and associated factors

Background: Depression is one of the most common mental health concerns among students. The study was carried out to assess the current state of students’s depression and analyze some related factors. Methodology: A cross-sectional design was conducted on 422 undergraduate students at Phenikka University from April to July 2023, using stratified random sampling. Information was collected using a pre-designed questionnaire and the PHQ-9 scale. The data was entered using Epidata 3.1 and analyzed in SPSS 26.0. Results/Discussion: The study reveals that the proportion of students with depression was 28.4%; of which 18.2% was moderate, 7.6% was moderately severe, and 2.6% was severe. We find that factors related to depression are the year of study, study pressure, financial status, illness/accident, experience of stressful events, smoking habit, alcohol use, and the effects of COVID-19. Conclusions/Recommendations: We strongly suggest further research on depression among second-year and third-year students and students in other majors in the university to better understand the reality of this mental illness and some related factors. Keywords: Depression, PHQ-9, undergraduate students, associated factors, Phenikka University