International Journal of Research in Social Sciences

This study investigated the level of manifestation of depression among School of Arts and Sciences first year students (BS Biology, AB English and BS Nursing) towards the development and implementation of prevention and intervention programs. The standardized instrument used in this study was the 21-item Beck's Depression Inventory. To validate the quantitative data, indigenous technique was also employed. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results revealed that the first year students of School of Arts and Sciences had a Mild Mood Disturbance level of manifestation of depression. In terms of gender, male students had a higher level of manifestation of depression than female students but the difference in their mean of 16.50 and 13.23 respectively was not significant. As to the course, SAS first year students had a mild mood disturbance level of manifestation of depression although BS Nursing students exhibited highest depression as compared to the other courses, however, the variance in their level of manifestation of depression was not significant. On the other hand, with regards to the possible basis of prevention and intervention programs for students with high level of depression, the results conveyed that it should be based on dealing with self-criticalness, agitation, and past failure for depression that are psychological in nature while for physical in nature, it should be based on activities dealing with durability, loss of energy, loss of interest in opposite sex, changes in sleeping pattern, and tiredness or fatigue.