A survey Beck test in university students & its relationship between some related risk factors

Prevalence of Depression in Iranian College Students: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Context: Depression is a common problem in students. The current study aimed to determine the prevalence of depression in Iranian college students. Evidence Acquisition: The study was conducted using preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA). We searched both international (i.e. PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, Web of Science, Embase, and Google Scholar) and national (i.e. SID, Magiran, Iranmedex, and IranDoc) databases from 1991 to June 2019 to identify relevant studies. Cochran’s Q test, I2 index, and τ2 index were used to assess the heterogeneity. A random-effects model was employed to combine the results using comparative meta-analysis software version 2.2. Results: Overall, 89 studies dealing with a total of 33,564 Iranian students were included. The prevalence of depression was estimated at 48.0% [95% confidence interval (CI): 43.6 - 52.5%]. The prevalence of depression was 51.3% (95% CI: 41.1 - 61.4%) and 48.9% (95% CI: 41.0 - 54.8%) in males and females, respectively. The prevalence of mild, moderate, and severe depression was estimated at 26.1% (95% CI: 23.8 - 28.6%), 15.5% (95% CI: 13.1 - 18.3%), and 6.4% (95% CI: 5.1 - 8%), respectively. The Beck-I Questionnaire and the GHQ-28 Questionnaire indicated the highest and the lowest prevalence of depression [68.4% (95% CI: 38.8 - 88.1%) vs. 39.2% (95% CI: 24.6 - 56.1%)], respectively. It was proved that the prevalence of depression among Iranian college students has significantly increased during the study period (P < 0.001). Interest in the field was significantly correlated with depression (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Given the high prevalence of depression among Iranian college students, prevention and treatment programs are strongly recommended.

The association between stressful life events and depressive symptoms among Cypriot university students: a cross-sectional descriptive correlational study

Background

Previous findings suggest that stressful life events have a causal relationship with depressive symptoms. However, to date little is known concerning the contribution of the number and severity of recent stressful life events on the prevalence of depressive symptoms among university students. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of depressive symptoms and its association with the number and the severity of self-reported stressful life events among university students in Cyprus.

Methods

A descriptive correlational design with cross sectional comparison was used. The CES-D scale was applied for the assessment of depressive symptoms and the LESS instrument for stressful life events. Both scales were completed anonymously and voluntarily by 1.500 students (response rate 85%).

Results

The prevalence of mild to moderate depressive symptoms [CES-D score between 16 and 21] and of clinically significant depressive symptoms [CES-D score ≥ 22] were 18.8% and 25.3% respectively. There were statistically significant differences in clinically significant depressive symptoms by gender, with higher rates among women (x² = 8.53, df = 1, p = 0.003). Higher scores on the LESS scale were associated with more frequent reports of clinical depressive symptoms (x² = 70.63, df = 4, p < 0.001). Similarly, an association was found between the number of life events and clinical depressive symptoms (x² = 40.06, df = 4, p < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis after adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics confirmed that the responders who reported a high number (n = 12–21) of stressful life events during the previous year (OR = 2.64 95% CI: 1.02, 6.83) and a severe degree of stress due to these events (total LESS score > 351, OR = 3.03 95% CI: 1.66, 5.39) were more likely to manifest clinical depressive symptoms.

Conclusions

The high frequency of occurrence of depressive symptoms among Cypriot university students, as well as the strong association with stressful life events, highlights the need for psychological empowerment strategies towards students by institutional counseling services.