A Survey on the Pervasiveness of Antidepressants Among University Students of Bangladesh

Abstract

This study intends to evaluate the pervasiveness of depression and antidepressant medication among public and private university students in Bangladesh with a broader and more varied sample than those gathered in prior studies. A cross-sectional research study was carried out in Bangladesh's 19 public and 12 private universities between March 05 and April 10, 2023. Socio demographic information, lifestyle factors, signs and symptoms of depression, antidepressant administration history, medication prescribers, adverse effects of antidepressants, living arrangements, financial support during university, and the availability and accessibility of mental health support from their university were all collected from the students. The survey comprised 528 students across the 31 universities in the country. First-year, second-year, third-year, fourth-year, graduate, and post-graduate students made up, respectively, 30.3%, 17.8%, 17.2%, 20.3%, 10.4%, and 4.0% belonging to them. 93.18% of students reported having depressive symptoms, with male students having a higher frequency than females (61.38% vs. 38.82%). Antidepressant use was positively identified in 26.83% of 492 depressed students. The outcomes of the study revealed that while 6.82% of the total respondents did not suffer from depressive symptoms, the other 55.78%, 24.3%, and 13.1% had moderate, high, and severe depression, respectively. The majority of students were identified as having moderate to severe depression. The main root causes for taking antidepressants were determined as insomnia, depression, anxiety, stress disorder, academic pressure, financial difficulty, and unstable relationships. According to research, students tend to use SSRIs more frequently than other antidepressants, afterward benzodiazepines and TCAs at the very least. The conclusion of the survey revealed that 39.5% of the participants had access to affordable mental health services at their university. 17.6% of those students don't have sufficient access, 41.9% have adequate access, and 40.5% have limited availability and access to mental health services at their university. Key words: Cross-sectional research, socio demographic, antidepressant drug, SSRIs, SNRIs, benzodiazepines, TCAs, mental health services.