The prevalence of depression and its perceptions among undergraduate pharmacy students

Abstract

Introduction: Depression is mental health disorder which not only influences the overall health of the individual but affects the social aspects too. The pharmacy curriculum teaches the students about the disease and its management. The study focuses the prevalence of depression and its perceptions. Methods: A quantitative cross sectional study was conducted in pharmacy institutes of Pakistan targeting the undergraduates with a structured questionnaire. Results: The prevalence of depression in the male and female students was 59.49% (51.40% to 67.22% for 95% CI) and 64% (58.91% to 68.86% for 95% CI) respectively, majority never visited any institute dedicated for such individuals, major segment of target group expressed their unwillingness to live with such people, the bulk of students believed the depressed individuals are a threat to the society. Conclusion: The pharmacy education did not help lowering the social stigmatisation of undergraduates regarding depression however improved their optimism regarding its treatment.