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. 2020 Sep 24;17(19):7001.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph17197001.

The Prevalence of Depression, Anxiety and Stress and Their Associated Factors in College Students

Enrique Ramón-Arbués  1 , Vicente Gea-Caballero  2   3 , José Manuel Granada-López  4 , Raúl Juárez-Vela  5 , Begoña Pellicer-García  6 , Isabel Antón-Solanas  7
Affiliations

The Prevalence of Depression, Anxiety and Stress and Their Associated Factors in College Students

Enrique Ramón-Arbués et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Aim: To estimate the prevalence of symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress and associated factors in a population of college students.

Method: Cross-sectional study of psychological distress measured through the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) in a sample of 1074 college students.

Results: We found a moderate prevalence of depression (18.4%), anxiety (23.6%) and stress (34.5%) symptoms in our study population. Being <21, having problematic Internet use behavior, smoking, presenting insomnia and having a low self-esteem were independently associated with symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress. Being a woman, living with their family, having a stable partner, consuming alcohol frequently and having poor nutritional habits were significantly associated with symptoms of stress; lacking a stable partner was significantly associated with depressive symptoms; and frequent consumption of alcohol was significantly associated with symptoms of anxiety.

Conclusion: We found a moderate prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress symptoms in our population. Interventions aimed at promoting mental health among college students should be implemented.

Keywords: Spain; anxiety; cross-sectional studies; depression; psychological; stress; student health.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Coexistence of symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress according to the results from DASS-21 (n = 1074).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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