DEPARMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND COMMUNITY MEDICINE

Background: The prevalence of mental health disorders is on the rise, significantly impacting health, social dynamics, and human rights, and causing substantial consequences globally. Among these mental health challenges, depression stands out as a pervasive issue, especially affecting university students. Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the knowledge, prevalence, and influencing factors related to depression among undergraduate students at the University of Benin in South-South Nigeria. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study, conducted at the University of Benin, Nigeria, aimed to assess depression among full-time undergraduate students. Utilizing a multi- stage sampling technique, 460 students were selected. Data collection involved a structured questionnaire covering socio-demographics, knowledge of depression, prevalence (using PHQ-9), and associated factors. Ethical considerations were addressed, including confidentiality measures. Results will contribute to understanding the prevalence of depression and associated factors among university students. Results: The ages of respondents were between 15-39 years and 269 (58.5%) of respondents were within the age group of 20-24 with the mean age being 23.5. More than half 253(55.0%) of the respondents were females while males constituted 207 (45.0%) of the respondents. Among the respondents, 104 (22.6%) were in 200L, 120 (26.1%) in 300L, 119 (25.6%) in 400L, 78 (17.0%) in 500L and 39 (8.5%) in 600L. Overall knowledge score for depression was good (66%). There was a significant relationship between knowledge of depression and study level (χ 2 =9.533, p=0.048) of the respondents. The prevalence of depression among the respondents was 239 (52%). The risk factors that were 1 significantly related were alcoholism, use of psychoactive drugs, heartbreak, sexual abuse, poor interpersonal relationships with colleagues, financial problems, and death of a loved one, as well as long stay in school, previous personal and family history of depression, and failed examinations. Conclusion: The knowledge of depression among undergraduates is notably high, with a disturbing prevalence, with risk factors ranging from environmental, socioeconomic, medical, psychological, academic, and familial factors.

Background: The growing influence of information technology on various aspects of life including education necessitates the developing countries to use E-learning for better distribution of teaching materials and interaction between students and teachers. In Nigeria, there was a surge in use of E-learning to continue education due to the COVID-19 pandemic. E-learning represents a vital paradigm on higher education unconstrained by time and place, offering new opportunities for the development of the educational processes. Its adoption is vital to bridge the learning gap between developed and developing countries. Objectives: To assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of undergraduate students in University of Benin towards E-learning. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was adopted for this study. Four hundred and twenty-five students were selected using multi-stage sampling technique. Data was obtained using a standardized semi-structured self-administered questionnaire comprising both open ended and close ended questions. Data was analysed using IBM SPSS version 25.0 software with statistical significance set at p<0.05 and 95% confidence interval. Results: The mean age was calculated as 23.16 (±3.24) years. Of all the respondents, (62.8%) had good knowledge, while (37.2%) of respondents had poor knowledge. (97.2%) had a positive attitude, while 2.8% had a negative attitude. Challenges such as constant power failure, inadequate internet access, inadequate computer literacy skills and cost of data subscriptions were identified. 98.1% of respondents showed good readiness, while 1.9% showed poor readiness. The most commonly used E-learning tools were search engines, PowerPoint, virtual classrooms and mobile applications. Conclusion: The majority of respondents had good knowledge, positive attitude and good readiness towards E-learning. The major challenges were constant power failure, inadequate internet access, inadequate computer literacy skills and cost of data subscriptions. Keywords: Online, learning, technology Word count: 287

Depression is a significant mental health concern among university students worldwide, with pharmacy students particularly vulnerable due to the demanding nature of their academic programmes. Despite growing evidence of its prevalence in Nigerian universities, institution-specific data from the University of Benin (UNIBEN) remains limited.

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of depression among undergraduate pharmacy students at the University of Benin, identify the key determinants of depression within this population, and assess its impact on their academic performance and psychosocial well-being.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 428 undergraduate pharmacy students across academic levels 200 to 600 at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. Participants were selected using a stratified sampling technique with proportional allocation. Data were collected through a self-administered, structured online questionnaire comprising five sections: sociodemographic characteristics, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) for depression screening, determinants of depression, impact of depression, and effects on academic performance. Data were analysed using IBM SPSS version 27.0, with chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests employed to assess associations between variables. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.

Results: The overall prevalence of depression was 20.1%, with 11.7% of respondents experiencing mild depression, 6.1% moderate depression, and 2.3% severe depression. Age (p = 0.043) and level of study (p = 0.015) were significantly associated with depression severity; younger students (15–19 years) and those in lower academic levels (especially 200 level) exhibited the highest rates of depressive symptoms, while final-year (600 level) students had the lowest prevalence. Sex, religion, marital status, residential location, accommodation type, and source of funding did not show statistically significant associations with depression. The principal determinants identified were academic stress (45.3% reported difficulty coping with workload), prolonged academic stay (25.2%), poor accommodation (18.9%), sleep disturbances (16.6%), financial difficulties (40.7%), and traumatic experiences including examination failure (30.3% of those with trauma) and heartbreak (24.4%). Among the 105 students (24.5%) with active depressive symptoms, 60.0% found it harder to concentrate, 50.5% reported impaired academic performance, 32.4% missed classes or examinations, and 27.6% had failed courses due to poor mental health. Notably, nearly half (45.7%) of symptomatic students reported suicidal ideation, yet only 26.7% had sought any form of help.
Conclusion: Depression affects approximately one in five pharmacy students at the University of Benin, with younger students and those in early academic years at greatest risk. Academic stress, financial difficulties, and traumatic life events are the predominant determinants, while the condition substantially impairs concentration, attendance, and academic outcomes. The alarmingly low rate of help-seeking despite high suicidal ideation underscores an urgent need for targeted mental health screening, accessible counselling services, and institutional policies that address academic stressors and reduce the stigma surrounding mental health care.