TY - JOUR
T1 - Prevalence of depressive symptoms among university students in Oman
AU - Al-Busaidi, Zakiya
AU - Bhargava, Kamlesh
AU - Al-Ismaily, Aida
AU - Al-Lawati, Hadia
AU - Al-Kindi, Rahma
AU - Al-Shafaee, Mohammad
AU - Al-Maniri, Abdullah
PY - 2011/7
Y1 - 2011/7
N2 - Objectives: To study the prevalence of depressive symptoms and its association with gender, academic year, and college among university students in Oman. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among Omani students attending the students' clinic of the Sultan Qaboos University (SQU). A systematic sampling of students, males and females, from different colleges, who visited the clinic during the study period, was carried out. The self-administered Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was used to screen for propensity to depression. Results: A total of 481 students participated in the study (243 males and 238 females). Overall, 133 (27.7%) of the participants (66 males and 67 females) had depression of various grades based on the PHQ-9 diagnostic criteria using a cut point of more than 11. Depression score at the cut point of 11 was not statistically associated with gender, college and the academic year. Conclusion: Tendency for depression might be a common health problem among college students in Oman attending primary health care facilities. Further research on socio-demographic characteristics and the effect of depression on the academic performance is needed.
AB - Objectives: To study the prevalence of depressive symptoms and its association with gender, academic year, and college among university students in Oman. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among Omani students attending the students' clinic of the Sultan Qaboos University (SQU). A systematic sampling of students, males and females, from different colleges, who visited the clinic during the study period, was carried out. The self-administered Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was used to screen for propensity to depression. Results: A total of 481 students participated in the study (243 males and 238 females). Overall, 133 (27.7%) of the participants (66 males and 67 females) had depression of various grades based on the PHQ-9 diagnostic criteria using a cut point of more than 11. Depression score at the cut point of 11 was not statistically associated with gender, college and the academic year. Conclusion: Tendency for depression might be a common health problem among college students in Oman attending primary health care facilities. Further research on socio-demographic characteristics and the effect of depression on the academic performance is needed.
KW - Affective disorders
KW - Depression
KW - Oman
KW - PHQ-9
KW - Prevalence
KW - SQU
KW - University students
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U2 - 10. 5001/omj.2011.58
DO - 10. 5001/omj.2011.58
M3 - Article
C2 - 22043426
AN - SCOPUS:84858327763
VL - 26
SP - 235
EP - 239
JO - Oman Medical Journal
JF - Oman Medical Journal
SN - 1999-768X
IS - 4
ER -