Abstract
University students frequently deal with different psychological changes in addition to coping with stressful academic and social obligations due to the facilities' environment, structure, and functions. This makes students more likely to experience depression, an eminent problem in today's world and particularly common among university studentsThe objective of this study was to evaluate the frequency of depression among university students in the Khulna region, taking into consideration the common symptoms of depression that occur with the transition from high school to university. The research involved a sample size of 1000 students representing from four universities located in the Khulna region. The random walk sampling technique was used for both sample selection and data collection. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 was used to evaluate symptoms of depression. Descriptive statistics, chi-square followed by binary logistics regression were used to identify the associated factor contributing to the depression of the students. The findings show that 68% of students reported having moderate to severe depression, with female students reporting heightened rates (71.7%) than male students (62%). Binary logistic regression analysis results revealed that average and good result students reported depression difficulties that were 2.16 (95% CI 1.11-4.18) and 2.04 (95% CI 1.05-3.97) times greater than those of exceptional result students, respectively. The study finds an unusually high prevalence of depression among university students in the Khulna region. Further study should be conducted on the intricate factor such as anxiety, eating disorder, academic stress and social capital to better understand the overall factors responsible for this high prevalence of depression. Undoubtedly, there is a need to take immediate action to address and reduce the depression among university students through co-design approach.