Paper Details

Depression is common among college students, yet it often goes unnoticed until it begins to affect grades and relationships. This study assessed the level of depressive symptoms among college students, compared male and female students, and examined whether academic stress was related to depression. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 100 undergraduate and postgraduate students aged 18–25 years, recruited by convenience sampling from Malla reddy university Hyderabad . Participants completed a demographic information sheet, the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) . Data were analysed in SPSS 26 using descriptive statistics, an independent-samples t-test and Pearson’s correlation. The mean BDI-II score was 20.84 (SD = 8.16), which falls in the moderate range; 35% of students scored in the moderate band and 15% in the severe band. Female students scored higher than male students (22.41 vs 18.92; t(98) = 2.16, p = .033), and academic stress correlated positively with depression (r = .62, p < .001). Put simply, half the sample reported at least moderate symptoms, and academic stress and depression shared a substantial part of their variance. Because the design was cross-sectional, the direction of this relationship cannot be established. The findings argue for screening students early in the academic year, and for counselling and stress-management support that is part of college routine rather than an occasional workshop.

Depression; college students; academic stress; gender differences; Beck Depression Inventory-II; mental health