Abstract
Background: Depression is a major public health threat that can affect
anyone including health professionals and nursing students. Objectives
and Methods : This analytical, cross-sectional study was conducted
among 180 students of a nursing college to find out the burden of
depression on them and possible contributing factors using the Beck
Depression Inventory. Results : 63.9% of the students were found to
be depressed, the majority being mild in grade. First-year students
were found to be significantly more affected (P=0.008). Binary
logistic regression showed that familial disharmony, disinterest in
the course and insecurity about future placement were statistically
significant factors behind the development of depression. Conclusion: It
is imperative that the psychological condition of nursing students be
viewed as an important aspect to be considered, particularly within
the Indian population and others in which there is a paucity of data.