Assessment of the prevalence of depression and the use of antidepressants in a study population

Abstract

The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that there is an increasing burden of depression and other mental health conditions  globally. WHO global health estimate for depression reports a prevalence of 5.4% in Sub-Saharan Africa. Pharmacological therapy still  remains the most popular treatment for diagnosed depression. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of clinically  diagnosed depression and outcomes of antidepressants among final year undergraduate students in a Federal University. A descriptive  cross- sectional study was carried out at University of Benin, Benin City. A validated questionnaire was distributed to the 319 final year  clinical students of the College of Medicine, School of Dentistry and Faculty of Pharmacy. Data obtained were organized and analysed  with Microsoft Excel and SPSS version 25. Descriptive statistics was done; frequencies and percentages were used to summarize variables  of interest. Ethical considerations were observed. All the questionnaires used were valid for analysis. About 90.0% of the  respondents were knowledgeable about depression. Symptoms of depression were reported in 20.0% of the respondents with 16.6%  having moderate symptoms of depression and 3.4% having moderately severe symptoms of depression. The same 20.0% used  antidepressants and 14.7% did not adhere to their regimen. Side effects were experienced by majority of respondents (16.3%) on  antidepressants. There was a low prevalence of depression in the study population. Adherence to drug therapy was poor. Side effects to  treatment were reported by majority of students receiving antidepressants. Majority of patients claim to be better now that they are  using antidepressant treatment as the symptoms of the disease are resolving.