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Factors Associated With Depression among Adolescents.

T Gangadhara Goud, Ramesh K, and K Pavan Kumar

Depression among medical students is an area of increasing concern worldwide. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of depression and its associated factors among medical and engineering students. A cross sectional study was conducted with a sample size of 1275 students (731 males and 544 females) studying in first, second, third and fourth years in both the colleges, during 2013. Depression was screened based on the data collected using a questionnaire prepared on the basis of a standardized depression scale with 21 items, Beck’s Depression Inventory 1(BDI 1). The overall prevalence of depression was found to be 64.9%. Staying away from home, smoking, alcoholism, part time job and commitment were associatedwith depression among the study subjects. Depression is highly prevalent among students in this area. Our findings point to the importance of broad screening and psychiatric counseling of this vulnerable population.