Abstract:
Introduction: Mental health issues have become extremely common among University students due to academic, social, and financial pressures. Clinical depression has emerged as a major concern, often co-occurring with social issues such as harassment, bullying, academic pressure, discrimination, fear of failure, institutional politics, financial burden, and exposure to illicit drug use. Aims & Objectives: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and severity of clinical depression among Bahria University students and to identify the social issues most frequently associated with depression severity. Methodology: A descriptive, cross-sectional survey design was employed. Data were collected from a sample of 185 students at Bahria University Islamabad using a self-administered questionnaire including demographic questions, social issue indicators, and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) for depression screening. Depression levels were categorized into six groups: normal, mild mood disturbance, borderline clinical depression, moderate depression, severe depression, and extreme depression. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the prevalence of clinical depression, and cross-tabulations followed by chi-square tests were conducted to examine associations between depression levels and selected social issues. Results: Descriptive analysis revealed that a majority of students experienced normal to mild depression. Cross-tabulation results showed that higher depression levels were associated with discrimination, academic challenges, fear of failure, institutional politics, financial burden, and drug exposure. Chi-square analysis confirmed that most of the examined social issues were significantly related to depression severity (p < 0.05), highlighting the profound social dimension of clinical depression among university students. The prevalence of clinical depression among Bahria University students is 21.4% as per this study. Conclusion: The findings indicate that clinical depression is not that prevalent among Bahria University students, with normal to mild depression closely linked to various social issues. These findings highlight the need for targeted mental health interventions and wellness programs within university settings to address emerging psychological and social challenges faced by students. Addressing both psychological and social challenges are essential for effective mental health interventions in universities
