Prevalence of depression and anxiety among college students living in a disaster-prone region

Abstract

The present study examined the prevalence rate of depression and anxiety among college students living in a disaster-prone area of Aceh, Indonesia. College students enrolled in two public Universities in Banda Aceh were randomly selected to participate in the self-administered standardized questionnaires for depression and anxiety. The prevalence rates of depression and anxiety were 18.8% and 27.4%, respectively. Depression was associated with gender and BMI while anxiety was only associated with gender. Depression is also positively correlated to anxiety. Depression and anxiety are prevalent among college students living in a disaster prone area. Early detection and timely treatment of mental disorders should be beneficial to the students living in this circumference.

Keywords: Depression, Anxiety, College students, Disaster