Depresión en estudiantes de quinto, séptimo y noveno ciclo de la facultad de psicología de la Universidad de Cuenca en el periodo 2024-2025

Abstract

Depression is a mental disorder characterized by a low mood and a persistent feeling of sadness that makes it difficult for people to function adequately in their daily lives. The study focuses on the university population, since exposure to different environments, academic challenges, and changes in their lives can affect their mental health with a high risk of suffering from mental disorders. The main objective of this research was to describe depression in students of the Faculty of Psychology of the University of Cuenca, and as specific objectives, to analyze the levels of depression according to sociodemographic and academic variables. The study had a quantitative research approach of non-experimental, cross-sectional and descriptive scope. The instruments used were the beck depression inventory (BDI-II) in its Colombian validation for university students by Maldonado et al. (2021). The results show that 59.1% of the participants do not present depressive symptoms, while 40.9% present some degree of depression. A higher prevalence of depressive symptoms was identified in women, fifth-cycle students, and those who attend morning classes. It is concluded that, although the majority of students do not suffer from depression, a significant percentage require attention. These findings underline the need to strengthen prevention and psychological support strategies in the university setting, with special emphasis on the most vulnerable groups.