Depressive  symptomatology  among  undergraduate  students  at  the  University  of  Puerto  Rico-­‐Mayagüez  Campus:  Preliminary  Results  

Gabriela  Alfonzo  Cordero  (UPRM),  Antonio  Cruz  Rosario  (UPRM)    &  Abimelec  Torres  Serrano  (UPRM)  

Abstract  According   to   the   DSM   V,   Depression   is   characterized   by  

anhedonia,   weight   gain   or   loss,   insomnia   or   hypersomnia,  psychomotor   agitaFon   or   inhibiFon,   faFgue,   excessive   or  inappropriate  feelings  of  uselessness  or  guilt,  lowered  capacity  for  thinking  or   concentraFon,   recurring   thoughts  of   death,   and/or   a  depressed   mood   most   of   the   Fme   (American   Psychological  AssociaFon,  2013).  As  reported  by  the  World  Health  OrganizaFon  (2015),   depression   affects   350  million  people  worldwide   and   “in  the  worst  case  can   lead  to  suicide.”   In  a  2011  study  by  Bonilla  &  Santos,   it   was   found   that   56%   of   students   at   the   Mayagüez  Campus   who   parFcipated   presented   depression   symptoms.  Sociodemographic  variables  such  as  academic  stressors  have  been  idenFfied   as   risk   factors   for   depression   in   studies   performed   in  the   United   States   and   other   countries.   This   study   looked   to  explore   the   relaFonship   between   depression   and   the   year   of  study   in   undergraduate   students   in   the   Mayagüez   Campus.  Students   were   selected   randomly   from   a   list   provided   by   the  registrar’s  office.  ParFcipants   completed  an  online  quesFonnaire  composed   by   sociodemographic   items   and   a   revised   version   of  the  Beck  Depression   Inventory   (BDI).  Primary   results  will   include  the  distribuFon  of  depression  symptoms  by  year  of  study  and  the  correlaFon   between   them   as   well   as   age.   Findings   could  contribute   to   applied   social   research,   by   documenFng   previous  results  about  the  prevalence  of  depression  in  this  populaFon  and  jusFfy   the  need   to  provide  workshops   and   seminars   to   students  with   the   objecFve   of   promoFng   awareness   of   depression  indicators  and  the  necessity  of  prevenFve  intervenFon.  

ObjecCves  Primary  objecFve:  Describe  depressive  symptomatology  among  UPRM’s  undergraduate  students.  Secondary  objecFves:  Determine  the  relaFonships  between  depressive  symptomatology  and  year  of  study  in  undergraduate  students  at  Mayagüez  campus.  

IntroducCon  According   to   the   DSM   V,   Depression   is   characterized   by  

anhedonia,   weight   gain   or   loss,   insomnia   or   hypersomnia,  psychomotor   agitaFon   or   inhibiFon,   faFgue,   excessive   or  inappropriate  feelings  of  uselessness  or  guilt,  lowered  capacity  for  thinking  or   concentraFon,   recurring   thoughts  of   death,   and/or   a  depressed   mood   most   of   the   Fme   (American   Psychological  AssociaFon,  2013).  As  reported  by  the  World  Health  OrganizaFon  (2015),   depression   affects   350  million  people  worldwide   and   “in  the  worst  case  can   lead  to  suicide.”   In  a  2011  study  by  Bonilla  &  Santos,   it   was   found   that   56%   of   students   at   the   Mayagüez  Campus  who  parFcipated  presented  depression  symptoms.  

The  theoreFcal  model  used   in   this  study  was  Beck’s  CogniFve  Model  of  depression.  According  to  Beck,  the  source  of  depression  lies   within   one’s   cogniFve   processes.   An   irraFonal   thought   will  precipitate   into  pacerns  of  maladapFve  conceptualizaFons.  Beck  calls  this  “cogniFve  triad,”  which  consists  of  a  negaFve  view  of  the  self,   the   present,   and   the   future.   Thus,   parFcular   cogniFve  schemas   are   produced   and,   because   these   determine   an  individual’s  conceptualizaFon  of   reality  and  their  behavior,   there  will  be  a  tendency  to  interpret  life’s  events  in  a  negaFve  manner  (Ziegler,  S.,  2005,  p.  58-­‐65).  

IRB   approval   was   obtained   (IRB/RUM   APR-­‐42016,   APR-­‐32017;   00002053).  Data   was   gathered   as   part   of   a   broader   study   on   depression,   dysfuncFonal  cogniFons,   and   lifestyles.   An   online   quesFonnaire   using   Qualtrics   Survey  Program   was   developed   to   gather   data.   A   sample   of   3,000   undergraduate  students  over  the  age  of  21  (split  evenly  by  gender)  was   invited  to  parFcipate  via   e-­‐mail.   Preliminary   data   from   a   sample   of   91   (81.3%   female   and   18.7%  males)   respondents  was  used.  ParFcipants  completed  an  online  quesFonnaire  composed   of   eleven   sociodemographic   items   and   a   revised   and   Spanish-­‐translated  version  of  the  Beck  Depression  Inventory.  Furthermore,  parFcipants  were  asked  a  series  of  quesFons  about  psychological  or  emoFonal  problems  at  

some  point  of  their  lives  and  depressive  symptoms  that  could  be  affecFng  areas  such  as:  work,  studies,  and  interpersonal  relaFonships.  Scores  of      the  revised  version  of  the  BDI  range  from  0  to  66  (Bonilla,  Bernal,  Santos,  &  Santos,  2004).  For   research   purposes,   scores   under   21   indicate   an   absence   of   depressive  symptomatology   and   scores   of   21   or   above   indicate   depressive  symptomatology.  Data  was  analyzed  using  the  program  IBM  SPSS  StaFsFcs.  

Conclusions  The  majority  of  the  parFcipants  (79.1%)  reported  having  

experienced   some   kind   of   psychological   or   emoFonal  problem  at  some  point  of  their  lives,  the  majority  reported  problems  such  as:  stress,  anxiety,  depression  or  mood,  and  family  problems.   It   is  possible   that   the  academic  pressure  that   falls   upon   university   students   may   cause   them   high  amounts   of   stress   and   anxiety,   which   could   set   up   new  feelings   of   sadness   and   depression   or   aggravate   exisFng  ones.   This   finding   is   consistent   with   the   literature   which  states   that   stress   and   anxiety   are   two   of   the   most  consistently   reported  problems.  Furthemore,   this  problem  background  also  fits  Beck’s  CogniFve  Model  of  Depression.  According   to   Beck,   the   source   of   depression   is   in   one's  cogniFve  process,  the  determinant  of  behavior  and  mental  state.   In   this   study,   17   parFcipants,   which   accounts   for  18.7%  of  the  preliminary  sample  were  found  to  score  21  or  higher  on  the  BDI,  indicaFng  a  likely  presence  of  depressive  symptomatology.   Preliminary   results   suggest   the   need   to  further   evaluate   these   parFcipants   for   the   possible  diagnosis  of  clinical  depression.      

Due   to   having   only   preliminary   results   with   a   small  sample,   we   are     presently   unable   to   perform   a   proper  correlaFon  analyses.  

Future  Work  Data   collecFon   and   analysis  will   conFnue.   A   larger   sample  

size   is   desired.   It   is   hoped   that   findings   could   contribute   to  applied  social  research,  by  documenFng  previous  results  about  the  prevalence  of  depression  in  this  populaFon  and  jusFfy  the  need  to  provide  workshops  and  seminars  to  students  with  the  objecFve  of  promoFng  awareness  of  depression  indicators  and  the  necessity  of  prevenFve  intervenFon.  

Bibliography  American  Psychiatric  AssociaFon.  (2013).  DiagnosFc  and                staFsFcal  manual  of  mental  disorders  (5th  ed.).  Arlington,                VA:  American  Psychiatric  Publishing.  Bonilla,  J.,  Bernal,  G.,  Santos,  A.  and  Santos,  D.  (2004),  A                revised  Spanish  version  of  the  Beck  Depression  Inventory:                Psychometric  properFes  with  a  Puerto  Rican  sample  of                college  students.  Journal  of  Clinical  Psychology,  60:  119–              130.  doi:  10.1002/jclp.10195  Bonilla,  J.,  &  Santos,  D.  (2011).  Informe  EjecuFvo  de  Hallazgos                al  Consejo  de  Educación  Superior  de  Puerto  Rico.                Universidad  de  Puerto  Rico,  Recinto  Universitario  de                Mayagüez,  Departamento  de  Ciencias  Sociales.  Centro  de                InvesFgación  Social  Aplicada.    World  Health  OrganizaFon  (2016,  April).  Depression.    Retrieved                from  www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs369/en/  Ziegler,  Shirley  Melat.  "Beck's  CogniFve  Theory  of  Depression.”.                Theory-­‐Directed  Nursing  PracFce.  New  york:  Sringer  Pub.                Co.,  2005.  56-­‐81.  

Acknowledgements  PAIS  (Undergraduate  Research  Training  Program)  at  CISA-­‐UPRM  Department  of  Psychology-­‐UPRM  

Method  

11.4  

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12  

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12.4  

12.6  

Figure  3.  Mean  and  Standard  DeviaCon  for  BDI  scores  

mean   Std.  dev.  

81.3%  

18.7%  

Figure  1.  Percentage  of  parCcipants  who  presented  depressive  symptomatology  in  their  BDI  scores  (21  or  higher)  

Percentage  that  does  not  present  depressive  symptomatology  Percentage  that  presents  depressive  symptomatology  

The   quesFonnaire   was   completed   by   91   parFcipants,   81.3%   females   and  18.7%  males.  The  mean  age  for  parFcipants  was  22.33  (SD  4.48).  

38  parFcipants  reported  to  seek  professional  help  to  deal  with  their  problems  (see  Figure  2),  of  which  29  (76.3%)  visited  a  clinical  psychologist.  When  asked  if  this   service   beneficed   them,   only   5.5%   reported   having   few   or   no   benefit,  28.9%   beneficed   somewhat,   34.2%   beneficed   much,   and   23.7%   reported  having  beneficed  greatly  from  the  services.    

Mean  BDI  scores  and  their  standard  deviaFon  are  shown  in  Figure  3.  Scores  on   the   BDI   ranged   from   0   to   58   (out   of   a   maximum   of   66).   17   parFcipants  (18.7%)  scored  21  or  higher,  which   is   indicaFve  of  depressive  symptomatology  

(see  Figure  1).  The  mean  age  for  these  parFcipants  was  23.88  (std.  dev.  3.99).  ParFcipants  also  expressed  that    their  personal  lives  were  affected  negaFvely  

by  concentraFon  problems  (42.9%),  loss  of  energy  or  physical  or  mental  faFgue  (41.8%),  and  decision-­‐making  difficulty  (29.7%),  among  others.  

Results  

35.2%  

53.8%  

57.1%  

63.7%  

0.0%   10.0%   20.0%   30.0%   40.0%   50.0%   60.0%   70.0%  

Difficulty  with  classes  and/or  studies  

Depression  or  mood  

Anxiety  

Stress  

Figure  2.    Most  common  problems  reported  by  parCcipants  

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