Journal of High Institute of Public Health (Aug 2023)
Anxiety and Depression Screening in Egyptian University Students: Prevalence and Predictors
Abstract
Background: Depressive and anxiety disorders are among the leading causes of burden of disease worldwide with prevalence estimates and disability weights comparatively higher than many other diseases among university students age group. University students are at a developmentally crucial period and are prone to experience variable levels of stresses which can lead to mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression. Identifying the prevalence of these disorders and the associated factors is crucial for prevention and control of these disorders. Objective(s): The current study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of anxiety and depression and their associated and predicting factors among university students. Methods: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted in Alexandria and Alamein universities from March till April 2023, where all students at both universities were invited to participate. Data collection was done using a self-administered structured online questionnaire using Google Forms that was divided into 3 parts. The first part was prepared to collect data regarding the sociodemographic characteristics, personal habits, history of chronic diseases and mental illness, family history of mental illness, academic environment and students’ perspective towards studying. The second part included the validated Arabic version of The Generalized Anxiety Disorder Assessment (GAD-7) questionnaire, and the third part included the validated Arabic version of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) the depression module. Respondents were asked to rate how often each symptom occurred over the preceding 2 weeks. Results: Among 2589 valid questionnaires, the overall prevalence of moderate to severe anxiety symptoms were found among nearly half the students (48.4%). Moderate to severe depression symptoms constituted 70%. Predictors that were statistically significantly associated with anxiety symptoms after binary logistic regression were age, sex, faculty type, smoking, history of mental illness, sleeping hours, and time available to study, while predictors of depression symptoms were faculty type and academic year. Conclusion: Our study suggests that a lot of university students experience depression and anxiety symptoms, and highlighted factors that are related to these mental disorders. Anonymous screening can have an important role in identifying students with mental disorders overcoming stigma that prevents them from seeking help.
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