Prevalence of depression and its correlates among undergraduates in Sri Lanka

Abstract

AIMS: There is a dearth of mental health research on undergraduates in Sri Lanka. This study examines the prevalence of depression in a sample of Sri Lankan undergraduates, their exposure to threatening life events and the predictors of their depression. METHODS: Responses of 4304 undergraduates were obtained on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and a measure of exposure to threatening life events, with binary logistic regression models used to identify the demographic and life event correlates of screening positive for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). RESULTS: PHQ-9 diagnoses of 'Major' and 'Other' depression were obtained by 9.3% and 13.5% of undergraduates, respectively. A higher likelih..