Evaluation of Antidepressant Medication Use and Determination of Risk Factors for Depression Among University Students in Istanbul

Abstract

Depression is one of the most common mental health illnesses that can get worse without proper medical interventions. Estimates of the depression prevalence among university students occupy a fair portion of the general depressed populations. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of depression among university students and identifying their characteristics. The conducted cross-sectional study obtained data from different schools located in Istanbul. The highest participation in the study was from Altınbaş, Istanbul, Yeni Yüzyıl and Istinye Universities.
The other universities are Yeditepe, Maltepe, Biruni, Istanbul Technical, Yıldız Technical, Bezmialem, Istanbul Kültür, Beykent and Marmara Universities. This study was conducted between December 2019 and March 2020 after the ethical committee approval. A total of 286 students were included in the study. 75% were female and the mean age and standard deviation (SD) of the students was 21.79 ± 1.775 years. Based on ‘Beck Depression Inventory’, the depressive state was observed to be no or minimal in 59%, mild in 20%, moderate in 16%, and severe in 5% of the participants. The student-related factors, such as the type of the school, cultural-social-financial issues were among the most factors that affect the incidence of depression in students. The students included in this study had only few information about depression and antidepressants which is not enough to understand the whole concept of depression and antidepressants.

Keywords

• depression
• anxiety
• antidepressant
• university students
• SPSS
• Beck Depression Inventory

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