Abstract

The authors studied depression, using Zung's Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) in the subjects of 3,499 male and 1,335 female college freshmen of Yeungnam University. The authors collected the reports of SDS during the periods from January to February, 1986, and applied ANOVA and t-test on depression scores in order to compare them between various psychosocial factors, and sexes. The results are as follows: There was significant difference in the mean averages of total depression scores between male and female students: male students scored 35.68+7.46, female students scored 38.93+7.26 (P<0.01). The depression scores relating to the items of indecisiveness, psychomotor retardation, decreased libido, and diurnal variation were relatively higher in both groups. One hundred and sixty-one male students (4.6%) showed seriously high degree depression scores of 50 or higher, while one-hundred and seventeen female students (8.8%) showed the same scores. Female students attending in liberal arts showed higher level of depression scores (P<0.01). There was a strong tendency toward higher depression scores in the students who were dissatisfies with their home atmosphere, college, department and familiarity of parents and those who had pessimistic views of self in the past, present or future in both groups (P<0.001).