Causes of depression among university students: A case study

of CUI Islamabad campus

Technical Report

Prepared for

Ma’am Muneeba Rehman

Moderator Report Writing Skills

Prepared By
Taimoor Shafique SP21-BSAI-019
Naeem Akhtar SP21-BSAI-018
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 Abstract

Depression, depression and anxiety are commonplace and are often reported among college
students. Particularly stressful and stressful among college teens is the cause of their academic
and academic performance. Depression, depression and anxiety are often associated with a
decrease in grades that somehow affect the learner's ability and ability to perform. The most
common causes of depression, depression and other psychological problems are time stress,
failure, intense competition, academic stress, and other problems include depression due to
feeling down for others a certain life is not worth it. Many students who experience
psychological problems in college should be properly mentored and counseled to deal with
their emotional problems and steps should be taken such as creating student counseling
centers or counselors and a training program that should be compulsory in all colleges. A health
committee should also be formed and appointed specialists and the college should do the work
of students and teachers and because of their attitudes.

Executive Summary
Aims: This study hopes to bring light on the use of emerging depression among
university students.

Objective: A survey was conducted in an institute of Islamabad with the help of a

standard questionnaire regards to depression among students and of critical health

Findings: The survey showed astounding results of 65% of the respondents already
knowing about this problem and the other 45% had little knowledge about it.

Conclusion: With the help of surveys and cited references, it was concluded that
many people are the victims of the depression.

Recommendation: A suggestion was put forth to make consultations among

students and health professionals.

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Contents
Technical Report................................................................................................................1
Abstract.............................................................................................................................. 2
Aims:.............................................................................................................................. 2
Objective:.......................................................................................................................2
Findings:......................................................................................................................... 2
Conclusion:.....................................................................................................................2
Recommendation:...........................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION:............................................................................................................4
b. Purpose of report:...........................................................................................................4
c. Significance of the Study:...........................................................................................5
2-Methods of Study............................................................................................................ 6
METHODS.....................................................................................................................6
Materials...................................................................................................................... 6
Response Variable.......................................................................................................6
Statistical Analysis......................................................................................................7
RESULTS....................................................................................................................... 8
DISCUSSION................................................................................................................. 9
5. CONCLUSION.........................................................................................................10
ACKNOWLEDGMENT...............................................................................................10

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 1- INTRODUCTION:

Depression is a major mental health problem across the world due to its high incidence,
chronic nature, and challenging treatment and recovery. Because of the enormous
burden it places on individuals, families, and society, it has been designated as one of
the four major diseases. Diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and Parkinson's disease are
among disorders that can be caused by depression. Depression has been related to a
worse quality of life, as well as an increase in illness and death. University students
confront a variety of problems, including independent living, academic stress, and
career preparation, all of which can lead to depression. High-risk habits, such as
increased smoking, increased alcohol use, and increased self-injurious behavior, can be
influenced by emotional and mental stress. Furthermore, depression has been linked to
acute infectious disease, suicidal thoughts, and suicide, all of which can have a negative
impact on their physical and mental health.

a. Background Information:
Depression is a common health problem, ranked third after heart and respiratory
diseases as a major cause of disability. There is evidence to suggest that
university students are at greater risk for depression, despite the fact that the
population is socially beneficial, but reported figures have shown wide variability
across all settings.

b. Purpose of report:

The purpose of the report is to establish the prevalence of depression among COMSATS
university students, as well as its relationship to socio-demographic, social, and health
characteristics.

c. Significance of the Study:

According to health websites and health professional psychological problems like

stress, depression and anxiety are disorder in mood that makes us sad and
hopeless for periods of time. These kind of psychological problems have
significant effect on once life, work, health, his/her enjoyment and people he care
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about. These kind of physiological problems have impact for short time and long
time, for short time psychological problems like stress and depression people feel
low for some time but he is able to work and take care of daily activities. But risks
are associated with long time psychological problems which sometimes turn into
physical illness.

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 2-Review of Related Literature
Depression was linked to the socio-demographic characteristics of the participants.

The study discovered a high rate of depression (29.4%) among undergraduate students
in Comsats. In comparison to other studies, it was lower than neighboring universities
NUST (47.01%) and IQRA (43.36%), but equivalent to QUAID-E-AZAM UNIVERSITY (27.70
percent). In comparison to the current study, Shamsuddin. (2019) identified a somewhat
lower prevalence (27.50 percent) of depression in COMSATS students (29.4 percent).
Perhaps this was because COMSATS University offered a regular psychological pressure
consultation service through undergraduate students. Female students were found to
be more sad than male students, however this difference was not statistically
significant. Females had a greater frequency in one research from QUAID-AZAM
UNIVERSITY, but no significant gender difference was found in other studies from
QUAID-AZAM UNIVERSITY and NUST.
Second-year students were 2.52 (1.71-3.71) times more likely to be depressed than first-
year students, with 9.2 percent of them suffering from severe depression. First-year
students are unlikely to have study difficulties or stress as the course continues in
subsequent years. Another factor might be that older students were more concerned
about their future career and employment prospects.

Students who lived away from their parents (5.1%) were 1.63 times (95 percent
confidence interval: 1.08-2.45) more likely to develop depression than those who stayed
with their parents. The findings were in line with prior research [18, 4345]. It's possible
that this is related to the transition to new surroundings and the loss of a familiar
setting.
More than a third of pupils (63.4 percent) were from low-income families. Students
from poor, not well-off, and rather well-off backgrounds exhibited greater rates of
depression than richer students, with 15.26 (95 percent CI: 2.77-84.88), 4.85 (95 percent
CI: 1.01-23.34), and 5.62 (95 percent CI: 1.16-27.25), respectively. The findings
contradicted those of other research, although they were comparable to those of a
Chinese study and a Canadian study, both of which revealed that people who were
financially advantaged were more likely to be depressed. Another research of American
college students discovered that financial position was a major predictor in depression.

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Depression related with students psychosocial and health factors :

Sleep disorders have also been found to be a major cause of student depression.
Students with soft, moderate, severe sleep problems 2.50 times (95 percent CI: 1.61-
3.88), 3.34 times (95 percent CI: 2.18-5.11), and 3.66 times (95 percent CI: 1.93 -6.94)
more likely to be depressed than those who have not had difficulty sleeping,
respectively. Further research followed similar results.
Although a number of indicators, such as childhood emotional and physical abuse,
suicide programs, obesity, drug use, exercise, and academic achievement, have been
shown to be significant predictors of depression, they have been found to be minor
predictions. This may be due to the confusing effect.
Health satisfaction and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have also been found to be
important contributors to the development of depression. Students with PTSD were
1.42 times (95 percent CI: 1.07-2.56) more likely to be depressed, and 2 students with
lower quality of life were 2. 14 times (95 percent CI: 1. 27 -3. 61) are more likely to be
depressed. , based on retrospective data.
There were a few errors in the study. First, the cause of the relationship could not be
determined because of a different approach. Second, because data was collected by
reporting, conclusions may be distorted by feedback or memory bias. Finally, because
this study included data from only one university, the conclusions may not apply
nationwide. Fourth, aspects of mental and physical health such as anxiety, depression,
illness, death, and disability were not considered in this study.

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 3-Methods of Study

Source of Data
The questionnaire was designed by a group of students. Each question had different
answers related to the nature of the question. The respondents were advised to give
their opinion on emerging problem and how it has effected the students in overall roles
in the world.
Sample Selection
The questionnaire was distributed among 50 students. To ensure confidentiality, the
questionnaires did not contain personal data forms. However, the possibility of
duplication was erased by taking respective measures.
Statistical Methods
According to the questionnaire, a percentage of the answers was calculated to get a
better understanding of the results. All the questions were evaluated based on the
responses they received. The percentage was calculated for each question by comparing
the answers and dividing them by the total number of answers.

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 4- Results, Findings and Discussions:

Students may experience anxiety and depression, and this may include fear of death,
fear of the death of relatives or fear of what it means to receive treatment. In the case
of students, if schools are closed as part of the necessary measures, then children may
not have that sense of structure and encouragement provided by nature, and now have
less opportunity to be with their friends and gain community support. that is essential
for good mental health.

An online cross-sectional survey, using a list of self-assessment questions conducted

during covid closure 19. among respondents, 20.4%, 6.6% and 2.8% received a low to
moderate, highly rated, and high score. very anxious. The main pressures include
financial problems, remote online teaching and uncertainties related to their academic
performance and future employment. anxiety levels were higher for women compared
to male students. women are more likely to express emotions more emotionally than
men, and the recent epidemic may have exacerbated the situation. Studies show that
women's insecurity is lower than men's and that crossing the border causes unnecessary
stress and anxiety. Younger students, especially those aged 17.18, were more anxious
compared to adults. Young people live on social media and the information shared on
social media can play an important role in increasing student anxiety levels.

in terms of the field of study, students in management-related subjects appear to have a

higher level of anxiety compared to health and medical students. this is in contrast to
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other studies, which were thought to have medical students achieve higher rates during
epidemics. because medical students may be more aware of what to expect as a
pandemic process compared to business students or management-related courses.
students living alone experience higher levels of stress than those living with friends and
family. As it is, those who live alone are often far away from their loved ones and the
immediate threat to their survival from the epidemic would make these students feel
lonely and present challenges from many quarters.

Statistical Analysis:

Before analyzing the data, outliers were checked, and six participants were removed
from the analysis. Finally, a list of 517 undergraduate students in Quaid-e-Azam
university, Islamabad was used. Descriptive analysis was performed for calculating the
prevalence of depression and background characteristics of the students. To select
significant independent variables for regression model, chi-square test was conducted.
Finally, binary logistic regression model was used to detect significant factors and to
estimate the crude and adjusted odds ratios for depression among university students in
Comsats. Statistical analyses were carried out using Statistical Package for Social
Scientists (IBM SPSS version 23.0) software.

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5. CONCLUSION

According to the study, the vast majority of college students suffer from depression
(29.4 percent). Tertiary institutions should pay special attention to students, especially
those who are in their second year, living outside the institution, those from a low socio-
economic background, who have sleep problems, or who suffer from PTSD. It is
necessary to provide psychological and social counseling or personal assistance to the
student. Long-term national courses covering all the unthinkable aspects associated
with student depression can help future studies. In addition, this study identified
statistically significant correlations between depression and education, socioeconomic
status, abuse, substance abuse, risky sexual behavior and mood swings in family mental
health problems. Based on these findings, it is best for the Ethiopian Department of
Education and Health to work in partnership with the University's senior management
structures to develop strategies to promote mental health and prevent new episodes of
depression and provide appropriate mental health treatment. resources for affected
students. More longitudinal and qualitative research is needed to understand the causal
relationship-effect between the outcome and the corresponding mutations.

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 Recommendations:

Offer support and encouragement. Help depressed students feel welcome and

included. Let them know you are available to help. Encourage their energy and interests.
Look for opportunities to succeed in class. Let them know you see their efforts - even
small steps.
Give extra time to complete assignments. Offer extra help. Consider having students
work with supportive peers to work on assignments or to study for tests.
Make physical activities a part of your daily classroom routine. This can help ease mild
depression symptoms. It can energize all of your other students, too.
Make brief mindfulness practices a part of everyday instruction. At random or
scheduled times, invite your class, "Let's all pause and take a few slow, calm breaths."
This helps students learn and practice this simple but effective self-calming skill.
Use trauma-informed education approaches. Create and maintain an environment
where every student can feel a sense of safety and inclusion. This helps every student
thrive.

References:

https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/depression-factsheet.html
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/drt/2013/373857/
https://ijmhs.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13033-020-00384-5

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END!

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