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Depressive Symptoms among University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Gandaki Province, Nepal: A Web based Online Survey

  • Journal of Regional Studies and Development
  • Abbr : JRSD
  • 2020, 29(3), pp.1-18
  • DOI : 10.22739/ipaid.2020.29.3.1
  • Publisher : Institute for Poverty Alleviation and International Development: IPAID
  • Research Area : Social Science > Area Studies > Regional Studies in general > Comparative / Statistical Regional Studies
  • Received : July 23, 2020
  • Accepted : December 15, 2020
  • Published : December 30, 2020

Hae-Kweun Nam 1,  Bo Zhao 1,  Hocheol Lee 1

1Yonsei University

Accredited

ABSTRACT

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed challenges to all aspects of human life including mental health. This study aimed to ascertain the prevalence of depression among students in Gandaki Province, Nepal. A cross-sectional study was conducted among university students in Gandaki Province, Nepal. The information was collected from March 21 to 28, 2020. Data were collected through Google forms using online surveys, and the survey links were sent to the target population via email and social media. Google forms provide security and anonymity to respondents. The PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire) consists of nine questions that ask participants how often they had depressive symptoms during the previous two weeks; response options were “not at all,” “several days,” “more than half the days,” and “nearly every day,” coded as 0, 1, 2, and 3 respectively. The total score of all nine items in the PHQ-9 was used to determine the level of depression. A score of 10 was used as the cut off value for depression. Descriptive and inferential statistics were computed. The level of significance was set at 5% for all analyses. The study revealed that 20% of respondents had depression: 10.3% had moderate depression, 6.7% had severe to moderate depression, and 3.0% had severe depression. COVID-19 related worries and anxieties, a constant headache in the last 14 days and doubt of survival if infected, were some of the factors that were significantly associated with depression among students in multiple logistic regression analysis. Particularly, conducting mental health preventive education and introducing vivid social prescribing programs could reduce depressive symptoms. KOICA, KOFIH, and INGO should consider developing the mental health ODA project using a new approach, called social prescribing, in addition to the medical approach after COVID-19.

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