Epidemiological Patterns of Depression and Anxiety: A Gender-Based Study Among University Students

Abstract

Background: Depression and anxiety are common mental health problems among university students and may adversely affect academic performance, functioning, and psychological well-being. Objective: To determine the prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms among university students and to examine whether these outcomes differ by gender. Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among 600 undergraduate students recruited from three universities in Pakistan. Data were collected using a demographic form, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 scale. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize participant characteristics and symptom severity. Associations between gender and psychological outcomes were examined using chi-square tests and odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals. Results: The mean age of participants was 20.82 ± 1.24 years. Based on symptom severity distributions, 65.8% of students reported at least mild depressive symptoms and 62.8% reported at least mild anxiety symptoms. Moderate-or-higher symptom burden was observed in 62.5% for depression and 62.0% for anxiety. Severe depressive symptoms were present in 41.2% of the sample, while severe anxiety affected 38.7%. Depressive symptoms did not differ significantly by gender (OR 1.08; 95% CI 0.77-1.51; p=0.667), whereas anxiety symptoms were significantly more frequent in women (OR 1.57; 95% CI 1.13-2.19; p=0.007). Conclusion: University students exhibited a high burden of psychological distress, with anxiety showing a significant gender disparity. Campus-wide screening and gender-responsive mental health support strategies are warranted