Prevalence of Depression among University Students in Saudi Arabia An Adopted Systematic Review
Date
2024-03-27
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Publisher
University of Manchester
Abstract
The prevalence of depression is one of the critical mental disorders that affect a large population. The symptoms of the disorders include sad mood, anhedonia, low self-esteem insomnia, general fatigue, lack of appetite, and decreased concentration. The global prevalence rate is estimated at 4.4% across the populations, and a 49% prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms among university students in Saudi Arabia. Studies on the prevalence of depression have confirmed that various factors such as sociocultural, biological, and psychological are the main contributors to depression and affect people of all ages. Depression disorders affect the level of quality of life for individuals, which leads to changes in physical activities, emotional functions, and behavioral changes. This study focuses on the prevalence of depression among university students in Saudi Arabia. This group of the population encounters a critical transition from one level of education to another, which requires them to be self-reliant and responsible individuals for them to survive, and from a transition from adolescence to adulthood, which turns out to be stressful at times. The stress mostly emanates from trying to blend into a new lifestyle, maintaining the pressure to excel academically, being away from home, and uncertainty about the future.
The prevalence of depressive disorders is the most typical disease affecting many different factors of humanity. University students in Saudi Arabia may be at increased risk of depression owing to the pressure and stress they encounter. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to focus on the level of prevalence of depression among undergraduate university students in Saudi Arabia. A total of 460 journal sources were screened, which resulted in 3 appropriate journal sources for the final inclusion in the study on the prevalence of depression. A systematic review was used to evaluate several kinds of literature on the prevalence of depression among undergraduate university students.
Description
The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies depression among mental disorders whose symptoms are sad mood, anhedonia, low self-esteem insomnia, general fatigue, lack of appetite, and decreased concentration (WHO, 2023). The disorder affects various populations with the estimated prevalence rate being 4.4% globally (Friedrich, 2017). Additionally, research shows that various factors in the form of sociocultural, biological, and psychological can contribute to depression (Cairns et al., 2014; Escobar et al., 2020; Holtmann et al., 2018; Werner-Seidler et al., 2017). Focusing on university students, which is the focal point of this study, it has been established that this group of individuals endure a critical transition from adolescence to adulthood, which turns out to be stressful at times (Asi, 2023). The stress mostly emanates from trying to blend into a new lifestyle, maintaining the pressure to excel academically, being away from home, and uncertainty about the future. These forms of stress end up making the students develop anxiety, which if not managed effectively leads to depression (Rotenstein et al., 2016). Some students cry, isolate themselves from others, skip classes, and take other necessary countermeasures as depression takes a toll on them.
Numerous studies have been conducted to examine the prevalence of depression, causative and risk factors, and the effects on university students in addition to students' coping mechanisms (Ahmed et al., 2020; Albajjar and Bakarman, 2019; Fernandes et al., 2023; Tung et al., 2018). In some studies, conducted previously, coping strategies have been reported to include intake of substances such as alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, particularly in the United Kingdom while in other areas such as Pakistan, seeking the company of friends, music, and engaging in sporting activities have been perceived as coping mechanisms (Sagar-Ouriaghli et al., 2020). Studies on the prevalence of depression must present a comprehensive discourse on the risk factors for stress among university students.
Keywords
Depression, Saudi arabia, mental health, public health, students