Prevalence and Associated Factors of Depressive Symptoms Among Mizan-Tepi University Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic

BACKGROUND: Depression is an extremely common and widespread problem among university students. A better understanding of the magnitude and determinants of depressive symptoms is required to create appropriate interventions for those groups. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and predictors of depressive symptoms among Mizan-Tepi University students during the pandemic lockdown. METHODS: From September 11th to September 25th, 2020, 779 Mizan-Tepi University students participated in this web-based cross-sectional study. The link was created with a Google Form, and the questionnaire was distributed to participants via e-mail, WhatsApp, Telegram, and other social media accounts. To determine the prevalence and determinants of depressive symptoms, both descriptive and inferential analyses were used. The chi-squared test of association and logistic regression were used to identify predictors of depressive symptoms among university students. We used (IBM) SPSS version 20 for all statistical analyses. RESULTS: The prevalence of depressive symptoms among university students was 39.5%. According to results of multivariable binary logistic regression, being female (AOR = 0.339, 95%CI: 0.220–0.522), being an alcoholic (AOR = 2.101, 95%CI: 1.452–3.041), smoking (AOR = 2.088, 95%CI: 1.460–2.986), being quarantined for 14 days (AOR = 1.775, 95%CI: 1.231–2.560), frequently using social media (AOR = 1.510, 95%CI: 1.063–2.145), fearing COVID-19 (AOR = 5.058, 95%CI: 3.508–7.292), having sleeping problems (AOR = 1.703, 95%CI: 1.051–2.760), having a family member infected with COVID-19 (AOR = 1.829, 95%CI: 1.211–2.763), being exposed to COVID-19 (AOR = 1.748, 95%CI: 1.114–2.743), monthly disposable income ≥ 501 ETB (AOR = 0.531, 95%CI: 0.359–0.784), having a higher level of hope (AOR = 0.158, 95%CI:0.056–0.447), and having high social support (AOR = 0.546, 95%CI: 0.374–0.797) were significantly associated with depressive symptoms among students. CONCLUSION: In this study, the prevalence of depressive symptoms was found to be high among university students. Being an alcoholic, smoking, quarantined for 14 days, frequently using social media, fearing COVID-19, having sleep problems, having a family member infected with COVID-19, and being exposed to COVID-19 were all associated with an increased risk of developing depressive symptoms, while being a female, having a high level of disposable monthly income, hope, and social support decreased the risk of depressive symptoms among university students. Interventions should be put in place to promote mental health among university students.