One‐year prevalence and incidence of depression among first‐year university students in Japan: A preliminary study

• Published in: Psychiatry and clinical neurosciences Vol. 54; no. 5; pp. 583 - 588
• Main Authors: Tomoda, Atsuko, Mori, Katsuaki, Kimura, Mitsuru, Takahashi, Takuya, Kitamura, Toshinori
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Melbourne, Australia Blackwell Science Pty 01.10.2000; Blackwell Publishing
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Biological and medical sciences; Catchment Area (Health); Depression; Depressive Disorder, Major - diagnosis; Depressive Disorder, Major - epidemiology; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4th ed; Female; First year; Humans; Incidence; Japan; Japan - epidemiology; Male; Medical sciences; Mood disorders; Prevalence; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Research Diagnostic Criteria; Severity of Illness Index; Students; Students - psychology; Universities; Asia; Japan; Human; Mood disorder; Prevalence; University; Young adult; Depression; Psychometrics; Student; Epidemiology; Public health; Incidence
• ISSN: 1323-1316; 1440-1819
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1440-1819.2000.00757.x

A structured interview was used to examine the 1‐year incidence and prevalence of depression among 116 first‐year university students. While 24 of the subjects (20.7%) met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4th ed. (DSM‐IV) criteria for Major Depressive Episode (MDE), 62 (53.4%) met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 3rd ed. Revised (DSM‐III‐R) criteria for MDE, and 27 (23.3%) also met the Research Diagnostic Criteria (RDC) for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) for the 12 months prior to the interview. Moreover, 23 of the subjects (19.8%) had onset of the DSM‐IV criteria for MDE, 54 (46.6%) had onset of the DSM‐III‐R criteria for MDE, 24 (20.7%) had onset of the RDC for MDD, during the same time period. These high rates of depression may be explained by the students’ difficulties in and by their readjustment after entering university.