Magnitude, relationship and determinants of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and depression among University of Gondar undergraduate students, Northwest Ethiopia, 2022: Non-recursive structural equation modeling

Abstract

Background Up to 80% of adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may have a concomitant psychiatric disorder. ADHD and depression, combined with the demands of University life, can pose serious challenges for students. However, there are limited studies conducted on this topic in our country. Therefore, the current study assessed the magnitude, relationship, and determinants of ADHD and depressive symptoms among students at the University of Gondar. Method An institution-based cross-sectional study was employed among 1514 undergraduate students at the University of Gondar from June 1–20, 2022. A stratified, simple random sampling technique was applied. Structural equation modeling was employed. The degree of relationship was interpreted based on the adjusted regression coefficient with 95% confidence interval (CI) and p-value (<0.05). Result In our study, 37.6% [CI: 35.2–40.1%] and 20.01% [CI: 18.1–22.1%] of the participants had depressive and ADHD symptoms, respectively. Chronic illness [β = 0.19, CI; 0.09, 0.30], alcohol use [β = 0.10, CI; 0.03, 0.17], social support [β = -0.23, CI; -0.29, -0.17], problematic internet use (PIU) [β = 0.23, CI; 0.18, 0.27], and insomnia [β = 0.24, CI; 0.17, 0.30] had a direct relationship with depressive symptoms. Mother education level [β = -0.09, CI; -0.13, -0.06], birth order [β = -0.09, CI; -0.11, -0.07], chat chewing [β = 0.18, CI; 0.06, 0.30], and depressive symptoms [β = 0.73, CI; 0.62, 0.86] had a direct relationship with ADHD. Chronic illness [β = 0.14, CI; 0.06, 0.22], PIU [β = 0.16, CI; 0.13, 0.21], social support [β = -0.16, CI; -0.22, -0.12], and insomnia [β = 0.17, CI; 0.13, 0.23] had an indirect effect on ADHD. Conclusion and recommendation The prevalence of ADHD and depressive symptoms was high. Chronic disease, alcohol use, social support, PIU, and insomnia had a direct effect on depressive symptoms and an indirect effect on ADHD. Mother education, birth order, chat chewing, and depressive symptoms had a direct effect on ADHD. Our study provided useful clues for clinical treatment and school-based interventions that aim to improve college students’ mental well-being. It is better to design school-based intervention and prevention programs to achieve timely diagnosis and treatment of these disorders among university students.

Factors associated with problematic internet use among University of Gondar undergraduate students, Northwest Ethiopia: Structural equation modeling

“…The median hours of study and sleep were likewise recorded at 5 and 8, respectively. For more information, you can refer to the previous work [ 32 ].…”

“…Excellent partial correlation, as indicated by the overall KMO (0.90), and a significant Bartlett’s test of sphericity. A detailed description was written and published elsewhere [ 32 ].…”

“…Our study also revealed a negative relationship between history of head injury and PIU [β = -0.12, 95% CI: -0.226, -0.021], where students with a history of injury had a decreased PIU compared to their counterparts, keeping other variables in the model controlled. This may be as a result of the long-term cognitive issues that can arise from head traumas, such as issues with memory, concentration, and problem-solving skills, which can then lead to emotional or learning challenges [ 32 , 88 , 89 ]. Thus, students with these problems may be forced to spend their free time on their education to cope with the highest burden in higher education institutions rather than spending their time on the internet.…”

“…A stratified simple random sampling technique was applied to select the study participants. A detailed description was written and published elsewhere [ 32 ].…”

“…A thorough explanation was composed and released in another location. A detailed description was written and published elsewhere [ 32 ].…”