Level of depression and anxiety among undergraduate students

Abstract

This study attempted to examine the level of depression and anxiety among undergraduate students, providing basic data for the development of mental health programs for college students. Informed consent was obtained from all participants, comprising 431 undergraduate students from C university in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Participation in this study was voluntary. Structured questionnaires were administered to participants regarding sociodemographic characteristics and level of depression and anxiety. Data were analyzed using SPSS 18.0. The results showed that undergraduate students' average depression and anxiety scores were 1.36 and 1.26 out of 4, respectively. There were significant differences in anxiety scores according to gender (t = -2.676, p = .008) and type of residence (F = 2.573, p = .037), Female students obtained higher anxiety scores than male students did. Regarding living status, participants living alone and those in home stays had higher anxiety scores than those living with family, in dormitories, and with others. Moreover, a strong positive correlation was observed between depression and anxiety (r = .517, p = .001), with higher depression leading to greater anxiety. Therefore, identifying and efficiently managing factors that cause depression and anxiety in college students is necessary to improve their mental health.