Epidemiological aspects of depression among Assiut University students

Abstract EN

Rationale: Depression ranks third after cardiac and respiratory diseases as the reason for disability and by the year 2020, it is likely to be the primary factor all over the world.-Objectives: To study the prevalence and determinants of depressive symptoms among Assiut University students.

Methodology: A cross-sectional University-based study was carried out on a sample of Assiut University students from different faculties both academic and practical, in the first and final academic years in the academic year 2003-2004.

An anonymous self-administered questionnaire was used.

Results: A total of 1000 students were interviewed.

The prevalence of depressive symptoms among Assiut University students was 71.8% (70.9% for males and 72.8% for females), higher among the younger age groups (16-20 years), (p< 0.05), students born to highly educated parents (28.5%) and those born to illiterate parents (25.3%), (p< 0.001), fifty six percent of students born to unemployed parents have depressive symptoms and (27%) of those born to parents with higher jobs have depressive symptoms, it was significantly higher among students having either one or both dead parents (82.2%), (P< 0.05), 86.3% of students in families having a low income less than 100 Egyptian pounds per month (p < 0.001), 80.7% of low socio-economic level.