Prevalence of depression and its correlates among undergraduates in Sri Lanka

Amarasuriya, Santushi D.; Jorm, Anthony F; Reavley, Nicola

doi:10.1016/j.ajp.2015.04.012

Cited by 32 publications

(58 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…They indicated that the simultaneity for depression and anxiety may be caused by several factors such as genetic, neurophysiology, neurochemistry, moods and mechanisms of interaction ( 24 , 25 ). In the current study, mental disorder (anxiety and depression) was higher in girls compared to boys and the result was comparable with other studies with almost the same results ( 7 , 8 ). These results were expectable according to the litarature which showed that gender is not a risk factor for depression in childhood, however increasing age and reaching adolescnce can increase depression among females but not in males.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…Since reaction to stress is related to problem solving disorders, depression and anxiety can cause destruction in social and job performance, and the outcome can have a negative effect on life environment ( 4 , 5 ). Studies show that depression in this period is associated with suicide, drug abuse, acute infectious diseases and low academic performance ( 7 – 9 ). Therefore, the identification of influenced people and offering the proper interventions is crucial.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, the identification of influenced people and offering the proper interventions is crucial. Studies show that demographic characteristics such as gender ( 10 , 11 ), age, academic level ( 12 , 13 ) and body mass index are associated factors for depression and anxiety, however the results of various studies are contradictory in this matter ( 7 ). These disorders have interference with intellectual, emotional and behavioral methods in adolescents, and if untreated can lead to unsuccessful education and life ( 3 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Prevalence of depression and anxiety and their association with body mass index among high school students in Qazvin, Iran, 2013-2014

Javadi¹,

Jourabchi²,

Shafikhani³

et al. 2017

Electron Physician

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BackgroundEvidence shows that mental disorders among adolescents are associated with suicide, drug abuse, acute infectious diseases and low educational performances.ObjectiveTo determine the prevalence of depression and anxiety and their associations with body mass index (BMI) among high school students in Qazvin, Iran in 2013–2014.MethodsA descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study using cluster-sampling method recruited 1,040 students among high schools in Qazvin, Iran from March 2013 to April 2014. Data were collected using questionnaires including demographic, Beck depression inventory and Beck anxiety inventory, and were analyzed with SPSS-19 by descriptive analyses, t-test, Chi-square and Pearson correlation.ResultsThe prevalence of depression and anxiety was 31.8% and 14.9%, respectively and these amounts were significantly higher in girls than in boys (p<0.05). Respondents showed 23.75% and 11.07% mild to moderate symptoms of depression and anxiety, respectively as well as 8.08 and 3.75% severe symptoms of depression and anxiety, respectively. There was a positive and significant association between depression and anxiety (r=0.256, p<0.001) and between depression and body mass index (BMI) (r=0.333, p<0.001), however there was an inverse association between anxiety and BMI (r=0.086, p<0.006).ConclusionThe current study made a significant step forward in assessment of mental disorders and BMI to show the significance of depression and anxiety among adolescents in Qazvin. Therefore, effective interventions are necessary to improve this situation as well as the evaluation of the effectiveness of the interventions.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Prevalence of depression and anxiety and their association with body mass index among high school students in Qazvin, Iran, 2013-2014

Javadi¹,

Jourabchi²,

Shafikhani³

et al. 2017

Electron Physician

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…This indicates the need to improve their knowledge about assisting their mentally distressed peers, given the rate of depression among this population [34] and their endorsement of their peers as help-providers when dealing with depression [35]. However, their mean ALGEE score is similar to that obtained by Australian adults [55] and higher than that obtained by adolescents in Australia [43] and Japan [51].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…When depression and depression literacy involving the ability to recognise and respond to the disorder were examined among these undergraduates, the findings indicated that although close to 10% could be depressed [34], they may not seek professional assistance for their depression and instead seek informal assistance, such as help from friends [35]. These findings and the limited mental health services available in the country overall [36–38], highlight the active role that these undergraduates may play as gateway providers and catalysts in ensuring that their distressed peers get the necessary professional assistance.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Helping intentions of undergraduates towards their depressed peers: a cross-sectional study in Sri Lanka

et al. 2017

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BackgroundDespite showing high rates of depression, university students prefer to seek assistance for their depression from informal sources, such as their friends, rather than seeking professional assistance. Therefore, the helping behaviours of those who provide informal help to these students need examination. This study examines the helping intentions of undergraduates in Sri Lanka towards their depressed peers and the correlates of their helping intentions.MethodThe undergraduates were presented with a vignette of a hypothetical depressed undergraduate. A total of 4442 undergraduates responded to an open-ended question about how the person in the vignette should be helped if this person was someone they knew well. Their responses were coded in reference to established mental health first aid guidelines. Logistic and linear regression models were used to examine the predictors of their helping intentions.ResultsThe undergraduates’ most common helping intentions were to listen/talk and support their peer. Only around a third considered the need for professional help. The overall quality of their helping intentions was poor, but better among those who recognised the problem as depression and those who had less stigmatising attitudes. There was some evidence that certain helping intentions of the undergraduates which were person-oriented or social network-related were better among females, those in higher years of study and among certain non-medical student groups. Intentions to encourage professional help were better among those who recognised the problem, but poorer among those with personal experiences of this problem and among those who perceived this problem to be a weakness and not a sickness.ConclusionsAlthough the undergraduates may attempt to support their distressed peers, they may not show appropriate helping actions and may not encourage the use of professional assistance. Hence, they need to be educated on how best to respond to their distressed peers. Those with higher levels of stigma and inability to recognise the problem may be at greater risk of showing poorer helping responses towards their distressed peers.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12888-017-1192-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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

Alwis

Baminiwatta

Chandradasa

2023

Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol

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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 (I 2 = 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.

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Prevalence of depression and its correlates among undergraduates in Sri Lanka

Cited by 32 publications

References 48 publications

Prevalence of depression and anxiety and their association with body mass index among high school students in Qazvin, Iran, 2013-2014

Prevalence of depression and anxiety and their association with body mass index among high school students in Qazvin, Iran, 2013-2014

Helping intentions of undergraduates towards their depressed peers: a cross-sectional study in Sri Lanka

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

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