Psychology Research and Behavior Management (Oct 2023)

Depression Among University Students in Jordan After the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study

  • Alhemedi AJ,
  • Qasaimeh MG,
  • Abdo N,
  • Elsalem L,
  • Qaadan D,
  • Alomari E,
  • lssa Q,
  • Alhadeethi M,
  • Abdul Kareem HM,
  • Almasri A,
  • Elkhateeb O,
  • Naser AY

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 16
pp. 4237 – 4249

Abstract

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Ahlam J Alhemedi,1 Motaz Ghazi Qasaimeh,2 Nour Abdo,1 Lina Elsalem,3 Dina Qaadan,4 Esraa Alomari,5 Qudama lssa,1 Mohammed Alhadeethi,1 Hamza Mazin Abdul Kareem,1 Ayham Almasri,1 Osama Elkhateeb,1 Abdallah Y Naser5 1Department of Public Health and Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, 22110, Jordan; 2Department of General Surgery and Anesthesia, Faculty of Medicine, The Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan; 3Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, 22110, Jordan; 4Department of Clinical Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan; 5Department of Applied Pharmaceutical Sciences and Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Isra University, Amman, JordanCorrespondence: Ahlam J Alhemedi, Assistant Professor in Family Medicine, Department of Public Health and Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 3030, Irbid, 22110, Jordan, Tel +00962796555971, Email [email protected]: University students encounter stressors that make them more susceptible to depression than the general population. Depression negatively impacts mental and physical health. Our study assessed the prevalence of depression among university students in Jordan and its associated predictors after the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: We conducted this cross-sectional online survey study in the first quarter of 2022 by sending an online questionnaire to university students aged 18 years and older. This study assessed the symptoms of depression using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify associated predictors of depression.Results: A total of 535 university students participated in this study. The mean depression score for the study participants was 13.9 (SD: 7.1) out of 27, representing a moderate level of depression. Among the participants, 26.2% had moderate, 19.3% had moderately severe, and 25.8% had severe depression. Students who drink three or more cups of coffee per day, have had an evaluation of their psychological state by specialists before, and have been diagnosed with any mental illness were more likely to have a higher depression score compared to others (p< 0.05). On the other hand, students who were aged 24 years and older and those who practiced regular exercise were less likely to have a higher depression score compared to others (p< 0.05).Conclusion: We found a high prevalence of depression among university students in Jordan. This result is vital for decision-makers to implement a plan to prevent and manage this mental health issue.Keywords: depression, Jordan, prevalence, students, university

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