Depression and Its Associated Factors Among Undergraduate Engineering Students: A Cross-sectional Survey in Thailand

Abstract

Background: Depression is a common mental health problem that can affect everyone at different stages of development. Though the prevalence rate of depression among university students is rising, investigations among engineering students remains limited. The aim of the study was to examine the prevalence of depression and its associated factors of among engineering students in Thailand. Method: Totally, 346 students participated in this study. All completed the outcome inventory-depression subscale (OI-Dep) to evaluate the level and prevalence of depression. Other variables assessed included social skill, learning styles, relationship satisfaction, self-esteem, interpersonal difficulty, alcohol use, internet addiction, IA and neuroticism. Correlation and regression analysis were applied to test the association between sociodemographic and psychosocial factors and depression. Results: Of 346 students with the mean age was 20.25 (SD= 1.33), 52.3 % were male, 47.7% were female. Based on the OI-Dep, 35.5% of participants exhibited symptoms indicative of major depression. Significantly positive correlations were observed between depression and neuroticism personality, anxiety, interpersonal difficulty, somatization and IA. Additionally, a negative correlation was found between depression and self-esteem, social skills and relationship satisfaction. Multiple linear regression showed that neuroticism, social skills, interpersonal difficulty, and self-esteem, constituted the significant predictors of depression. Conclusion: The prevalence of depression among engineering students has proven to be surprisingly elevated. Among the contributing factors associated with depression include self-esteem, neuroticism, social skills, and challenges in interpersonal interactions. It is crucial to promote further investigation into the identification of these risk factors. Furthermore, the implementation of interventions aimed at identifying depression and its associated risk factors warrants serious consideration.