Perceived Stress, Depression, and Associated Factors among Undergraduate Health Science Students at Arsi University in 2019 in Oromia, Ethiopia

BACKGROUND: A mental health problem is a significant cause of overall disease burden globally. Among this problem, stress and depression are the central problems observed among university students due to the transitional nature. Consequently, the problem has an adverse effect on the wellbeing and academic performance of students. OBJECTIVE: To assess perceived stress, depression, and associated factors among undergraduate health science students at Arsi University in 2019 in Oromia, Ethiopia. METHODS: An institutional-based cross-sectional study design on undergraduate health science students was employed for the study from February 25 to April 15, 2019. Data were collected by using a self-administered questionnaire of the perceived stress scale (PSS-14) item and Beck depression inventory 21 items. RESULT: All of the study subjects were between ages 18 and 30 with a mean age of 20.9 ± 1.83 standard deviation years. The current prevalence of perceived stress among study subjects was 63.5%. Age category, study year, pressure to maintain a good grade, practical attachment, lack of dormitory safety, and the financial problem were identified as significantly associated factors of perceived stress. In addition to this study, results also revealed that the prevalence of depression among students was 4.4% in which thinking about career future prospects was a significantly associated factor. CONCLUSION: Stress was a significant problem among study participants where a small proportion of study subjects presented with depression. Comprehensive counseling and guidance aligned with training on awareness creation were recommended.