AN ASSESSMENT OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY AMONG UNIVERSITY OF BENIN STUDENTS: A STUDY OF THE FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

This research work seeks to examine the assessment of depression and anxiety among the University of Benin students, using the Faculty of Social Sciences. The study made use of a questionnaire to obtain data from respondents. Five objectives were set for the study. The study found that there was no difference between male and female students based on depression and anxiety. The results of the analysis conducted revealed that there was no significant difference between younger students and older students based on depression and anxiety. The results of this study also show that course levels did not significantly predict depression and anxiety. However, the findings suggest that students who use substances reported significantly higher levels of depression and anxiety than those who do not use substances. Lastly, students with a family history of psychiatric illness reported significantly higher depression and anxiety than students with no family history of psychiatric illness. The study made recommendations that were directed toward university administrators, mental health professionals, policymakers, and students, aiming to address the underlying factors contributing to mental health challenges in the university population.