Factors and Prevalence of Depression in Students at Iran’s Urmia University of Medical Sciences

Depression is characterized by decreased tendency to work, reduced pleasure from
work, increased or decreased weight, increased or decreased appetite, insomnia or narcolepsy,
irritability, fatigue, loss of energy, feelings of worthlessness, feelings of guilt, reduced ability to
concentrate and think, and thoughts of suicide or actual suicide attempts. In this 2016 study, we
examined the factors and prevalence of depression in students at Urmia University of Medical
Sciences in Urmia, Iran. Methods and Materials: This cross-sectional study was conducted
on 400 students. Data were collected through the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II): a 21-
item standard questionnaire in multiple-choice format to evaluate depression. The questionnaires
were distributed randomly by trained students over a period of 5 months. Data were analyzed
using SPSS ver. 19 software and by descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, logistic regression
models, and the chi-squared test. Results: The mean BDI score was 14.67 ± 11.30. Of the study
population, 278 (69.8%) were men and 120 (30.2%) were women. In terms of depression, 40.2%
of the students were in the normal range and had no depression, 23.6% were slightly depressed,
and 18.3% were partially depressed. Also, 6.03% of students had severe depression, and 3.51%
of students had very severe depression. No statistically signifcant relationship was observed
between depression and sex (P = 0.11). However, signifcant relationships were observed
between depression and education level (P = 0.001), smoking history (P = 0.001), and age
(P = 0.023). P values less than 0.05 were considered statistically signifcant. Conclusion: The
prevalence of different degrees of depression in the plurality of students at Urmia University of
Medical Sciences necessitates the development and institution of psychological training classes.