INTENTION TO SEEK HELP FOR DEPRESSION AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG UNIVERSITY OF GONDAR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS NORTHWEST ETHIOPIA, 2020.

Abstract

Abstract Background: Understanding help seeking intentions is basic to the recognizable proof of factors that can be changed to expand engagement in mental health service delivery. Despite high burden and serious consequence of depression on university students the help seeking intention is reported to be low, which make the study of this phenomenon on a priority issue, so as to facilitate for the future better intervention. Objectives: To assess the intention to seek help for depression and associated factors among undergraduate students at university of Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia, 2020. Methods: An institution based cross-sectional study was conducted from 10thMarchto 13rdMarch2020 at University of Gondar. A total of 487 students were recruited to participate in the study by using multistage sampling technique. General help seeking questionnaire (GHSQ) with major depressive disorder case vignette was used to assess the students’ intention to seek help for depression. The collected data was analyzed using SPSS version 20. Descriptive statistics such as: - mean, standard deviation was used to summarize the data distribution of the participants. Simple and multiple linear regression analysis, and adjusted unstandardized ? coefficient at 95% confidence interval was employed, at p value < 0.05statistical significant. Results: The mean score of intention to seek help from any health professionals was 3.84 with standard deviation of 0.76 in a scope of (1 “very unlikely” to 5 “very likely”). Dominant part of the respondents had Intention to visit health professionals to get a solution for their illness delineated in the vignette. The extent of the individuals who had an intention to look for help from any health professionals on the off chance that they were having depression was 67.8%. Age (unstandardized ß = 0.075, 95% CI: (0.045, 0.104)), good attitude towards seeking professional help for depression (ß = 0.033 95% CI: (0.024, 0.043)), were associated positively with intention to seek help while, poor social support (ß = -0.748 95% CI: (-0.896, -0.600)),being student of business and economics (ß = -0.112 95% CI: (-0.205, -0.019),perceiving depression as moderate (ß = -0.201 95% CI: (-0.348, -0.054)), perceiving depression as mild (ß = -0.557 95% CI: (-0.734, -0.380)) were associated negatively with intention to seek help form any health professional. Conclusion and recommendation. Intention to seek professional help for depression was good. Further attention should be paid on increasing positive attitudes towards need of treatment for depression and increasing social ties among university students to increase their professional help seeking intentions.