Assessment of Depressive Symptoms in University Students: Definitions and Components

Abstract

This qualitative research aims to investigate the meaning and components of assessing major depressive disorder in university students. The primary informants were nine qualified individuals who worked at the Psychology Excellence Center, Faculty of Education in one university. The research instrument was a semi-structured interview. Without concern for data accessibility or consensus, the interview's primary objective was to produce the information. The data was analyzed using content analysis and the triangulation method to examine the theoretical triangulation of the analysis. The findings revealed that (1) major depressive disorder in university students refers to a condition of depression that goes beyond mere sadness and is a pathological state commonly found in various psychiatric disorders, (2) the components of the major depressive disorder in university students consisted of four components: changes in the individual's thinking, learning, emotions, and behavior, and (3) the assessment of the major depressive disorder in university students consisted of evaluate the individual's biological or genetic factor, family relationship, traumatic events, coping abilities, chronic stress, symptoms, and signs. From the findings, the researchers suggest that the knowledge gained from the research can be used to provide knowledge, understanding, and create a preliminary assessment of depression symptoms for students