OBJECTIVES: Assessing the prevalence of depressive symptoms among college students in Barranquilla, Colombia.

METHODS: In 2023, a cross-sectional observational study involving 271 undergraduate university students was conducted. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), a validated 9-item instrument assessing depressive episodes over the past two weeks based on the criteria of the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, was utilized. The PHQ-9 produces a score ranging from 0 to 27, indicating 5 levels of severity of the depressive disorder: 0-4 (no symptoms), 5-9 (mild symptoms), 10-14 (moderate symptoms), 15-19 (moderately severe symptoms), and 20-27 (severe symptoms)

RESULTS: From the study population, 45.8% of the university students present depressive symptoms. Within this group, 31.4% displayed mild symptoms, 8.9% moderate symptoms, 4.4% experienced moderately severe symptoms, and 1.1% exhibited severe symptoms. Additionally, 88.2% of students reported experiencing at least one symptom in the last two weeks, with feeling tired or having little energy being the most prevalent symptom at 74.2%.

CONCLUSIONS: A noteworthy proportion of university students in Colombia exhibited signs of struggling with their mental health, particularly with depressive symptoms. These findings underscore the necessity for interventions aimed at promoting students' mental health and overall well-being.