A cross-sectional study to assess the magnitude of depression among young adults at selected higher educational institutions in Tamil Nadu, India: A study protocol

BACKGROUND: One in ten young adults aged 20 to 24 years was diagnosed as suffering from DSM-IV disorder with associated impairment. Depression is a major challenge to public health around the world. The main aim of this project is to estimate the burden of depression among young adults and this is the first kind of study in nature that tends to establish a depression prevention resource center for young adults. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study will be conducted among 6922 young adults. A simple random sampling strategy will be used to obtain the study sample. The semi-structured tool will be used to obtain the result. Descriptive statistics and frequency percentages will be determined for categorical variables. Mean, median, and range will be calculated along with standard deviations (SD) and interquartile range (IQR). Percentage prevalence will be calculated for each categorical variable with a 95% confidence interval (CI). The P-value of <0.05 will be considered as statistically significant. A semi-structured questionnaire was developed and the questionnaires were translated into Tamil (for local relevancy), and back translated into English. Data regarding socio-demographic and mental health-related information, such as coping ability, problem-solving, personal history, academic performance, and treatment history will be collected. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study was authorized by the Institutional Review Board (IRB), School of Public Health, SRMIST, and Institutional Ethics Committee (IEC) in Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu, with the IEC Protocol Number: P0/2020/10/02. The ethics committee evaluated and rated the methods and tools used to assess depression among young adults.