Prevalence of depression among students at a Sri Lankan University: A study using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) during the COVID-19 pandemic

Prevalence and correlates of depression among students in a senior high school in Ghana: A school-based cross-sectional study

Objectives

Depression is one of the most widely reported mental health issues that affect adolescents globally. However, there is a dearth of data on its prevalence and associated factors among senior high school students in Ghana, since previous studies have focused more on adult populations. This can hinder policies needed to champion mental health and mental health care in senior high schools. Hence, this study sought to assess the prevalence of depression and associated factors among senior high school students in Ghana.

Methods

An analytical cross-sectional study involving 289 students at the Manya Krobo Senior High School was conducted from December 2022 to February 2023. The students were selected using a two-stage random sampling method. A questionnaire was used to collect data on sociodemographics and individual characteristics. The primary outcome was depression, and this was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Summary statistics were presented as means, frequencies, and percentages. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with depression and odds ratios presented with 95% confidence intervals. Statistical significance was considered at p-value < 0.05.

Results

The mean age of the students was 16.6 (±1.2) with a range of 14-20 years. Over a quarter (26.3%) of the students reported financial difficulties. The prevalence of depression among the students was 68.9%. The factors associated with depression in this study were female sex (adjusted odds ratio: 1.74, 95% confidence interval: 1.01-2.97), age (adjusted odds ratio: 1.41, 95% confidence interval: 1.10-1.81), history of chronic health condition (adjusted odds ratio: 3.74, 95% confidence interval: 1.36-10.25), and financial difficulties (adjusted odds ratio: 2.31, 95% confidence interval: 1.15-4.63).

Conclusion

This study shows that depression is rife among students at the Manya Krobo Senior High School, Manya Krobo District, Ghana. These findings call for pragmatic interventions such as strengthening counseling units and professional mental health services to ameliorate the impact of depression on the lives of students.

Temporal associations of BMI and glucose parameters with depressive symptoms among US adults

As the prevalence of obesity, diabetes, and depression increases, it is important to examine how their associations are changing overtime. We investigated the temporal trends in the association between depressive symptoms, body mass index (BMI) and glucose profile parameters using data from 2005 to 2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire. A total of 32,653 participants were included. Risk of depressive symptoms increased with higher BMI (aOR = 1.586, 95 % CI [1.364, 1.843]), insulin (aOR = 1.327, 95 % CI [1.159, 1.519]), HbA1c (aOR = 1.330, 95 % CI [1.116, 1.585]), or fasting glucose (aOR = 1.565, 95 % CI [1.247, 1.964]) levels compared to those with low levels. Sex differences were found, as overweight males had lower odds of depressive symptoms compared to healthy males, while overweight and obese females had higher odds compared to healthy females. High BMI and glucose parameters were consistently associated with higher depressive symptoms prevalence over time. Temporal variations were observed in the depressive symptoms-BMI and depressive symptoms-HbA1c associations, particularly at the 2007-2008 cycle. This study provides analytic insights into population level trends concerning physical and mental health problems.

Prevalence and associated factors of depression in Sri Lanka: a systematic review and meta-analysis

PURPOSE

Epidemiological data on depression are required to inform policies and service planning in mental health in Sri Lanka. This review aimed to synthesise data from existing studies to calculate the pooled prevalence of depression in Sri Lanka, assess its variability across subgroups, and identify associated factors within each subgroup.

METHODS

PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, Science Direct, Google Scholar and local journals were searched to identify peer-reviewed studies reporting the prevalence of depression among non-clinical adult, young, older, and maternal populations in Sri Lanka. A meta-analysis was performed using a random-effects model to calculate pooled prevalence estimates. Subgroup, sensitivity and moderator analyses were performed. A qualitative synthesis of factors associated with depression was conducted.

RESULTS

A total of 33 studies representing a total of 52,778 participants were included. Overall, the pooled prevalence of depression was 19.4% [14.44-25.54%]. Among subpopulations, the highest prevalence was reported among young persons (39%); the rates in adults, older persons and maternal populations were 8.7%, 18.4% and 16.9%, respectively. Prevalence estimates were higher when based on screening instruments (21.2%) compared to diagnostic interviews (4.3%). A high degree of heterogeneity (I2 = 99.2) was observed. A qualitative synthesis of factors associated with depression, including individual attributes and behaviours, socio-economic circumstances and broader environmental factors, is reported for each age group.

CONCLUSION

Approximately one-fifth of the population was detected to have depression. Notable variations in prevalence were observed across age groups. The heterogeneity of studies limits the inferences drawn from this review.

Psychological disturbances encountered by selected undergraduates studying at the University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka during the Covid-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study

University undergraduates are increasingly recognized as a vulnerable population with a higher level of psychological disturbances. During the Covid-19 pandemic, universities closed all over the world, resulting in the psychological well-being of this population being severely affected across the globe. This study examined the prevalence of stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms encountered by undergraduates of the selected five faculties at the University of Ruhuna in Southern Sri Lanka due to the Covid-19 pandemic, its associated factors, and the correlations between stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. An online, cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted among undergraduates using pre-tested, self-administered questionnaires from the randomly selected five faculties: Allied Health Sciences, Engineering, Humanities and Social Sciences, Management and Finance, and Medicine. Undergraduates were invited to complete the Google Form. Socio-demographic details and a 21-item Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (21-DASS) were used for data collection. Stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms were evaluated using a Sinhala version of the 21-DASS scale. Ethical permission was granted by the Ethics Review Committee of the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, University of Ruhuna. Among the 359 undergraduates, the majority were represented by females (62.1%). The mean age of the sample was 23.67 years (SD ± 1.6). Stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms were found to be prevalent in 53.7%, 41.8%, and 63.8% of undergraduates respectively. Younger and female undergraduates had more impact on psychological issues than their counterparts. It revealed a significant positive correlation between anxiety and depressive symptoms (r = 0.646, p < .001), anxiety and stress (r = 0.868, p < .001), and stress and anxiety (r = 0.786, p < .001). Most undergraduates experienced considerable levels of stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms during the Covid-19 as increasing stress, anxiety, or depressive symptoms, tend to increase all types of psychological disturbances. The development of mental health among undergraduates is essential and needs innovative strategies to improve the psychological well-being of undergraduates. The initiation of a stress management programme and expanded available counseling services are also important. Further studies are needed to be conducted on the extended topic of how the Covid-19 era is affecting the psychological well-being of undergraduates from different universities (state/non-state), locations, and different study departments.

Association between depression and quality of life in older adults with type 2 diabetes: A moderated mediation of cognitive impairment and sleep quality

BACKGROUND

The acceleration of aging and the increase in life expectancy have resulted in an increasing number of older adults developing physical and mental comorbidities. We examined the association between depression and quality of life (QoL) using cognitive impairment (COI) as a mediator and sleep quality (SQ) as a moderator among older adults with type 2 diabetes.

METHODS

A total of 2646 participants from Weifang, Shandong, China completed the survey. Their depression, cognitive function, SQ, and QoL were assessed. PROCESS was used to investigate mediating and moderating effects.

RESULTS

COI mediated the association between depression and QoL (indirect effect = -0.1058, bootstrapped 95 % CI [-0.1417, -0.0725]). Moderated mediation analyses indicated that SQ moderated the first half of the pathway of depression's impact on QoL through COI (moderating effect = -0.1128, bootstrapped 95 % CI [-0.1981, -0.0348]). Depression negatively impacted cognitive function in participants with poor (vs. better) SQ.

LIMITATIONS

First, multiple assessment tools should be considered to increase objective assessment. Second, the cross-sectional design limited our ability to make causal inferences. Third, additional diabetes-related variables should be included to explore this relationship. Finally, the pathways of influence and mechanisms of action of COI in older adults should be explored further.

CONCLUSION

Depression could impair the QoL of older adults by aggravating their COI. Fortunately, improving patients' SQ may undermine this negative effect. These findings may play an integral role in promoting the psychiatric health of older adults with type 2 diabetes.

Depression and academic engagement among college students: the role of sense of security and psychological impact of COVID-19

Background

The negative consequences of depression in college students have garnered global attention, especially in relation to academic achievement during the COVID-19 pandemic, which need critical assessment.

Aim

This study investigated whether a sense of security mediated the relationship between depression and academic engagement among college students during the pandemic and whether the moderating psychological impact of COVID-19 has a moderating effect on this relationship.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, we recruited 466 college students from 30 provincial-level administrative regions in China via the Internet and used established scales to measure depression, academic engagement, a sense of security, and the psychological impact of COVID-19. The mediating and moderating effects were tested using the bootstrap method.

Results

Depression was found to negatively influence academic engagement, with a sense of security partially mediating this relationship. Moreover, the psychological impact of COVID-19 was shown to have a moderating effect on this mediating process.

Conclusion

This study could aid in crafting pertinent strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of depression on learning amid unexpected public health crises and foster better mental health among college students.