A study to assess depression anxiety stress among the college students in selected college of Goa

Abstract

Common mental health problems seen among the college students are depression, suicide, anxiety disorder, eating disorder, substance use etc. which may rise in young adulthood. This study was done to assess depression anxiety stress (DAS) among the college students in selected area of Goa. The objectives of the study were a) To assess Depression Anxiety stress (DAS) among the college students based on Depression Anxiety Stress Scale – 42 (DASS- 42). b) To associate the level of Depression, Anxiety and Stress (DASS) score with selected demographic variables of the college students. A quantitative approach was used with descriptive research design. Convenient sampling technique was used. Sample size was 85. The investigator used Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS)-42 tool to assess Depression Anxiety Stress (D, A, S) among students. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. The results revealed that 47(55.3%) had normal level of Depression, 20 (23.5%) had moderate level of Depression yet 2 (2.4%) suffered from severe depression, Majority of the subjects 24 (28.2%) has moderate Anxiety, 15 (17.6%) has severe Anxiety and 6 (7%) has very severe Anxiety. Majority of the subjects 12 (14.1%) has moderate Stress, 2 (2.4%) had severe and none had very severe Stress. The finding of the study showed varied levels of depression, anxiety and stress among the college students. So, screening and creating more awareness and intervention strategies may be needed for the better mental health of the students.