Why the study?
Despite growing global concern regarding university student mental health, studies evaluating the prevalence of depressive symptoms from low- and middle-income countries like Pakistan remain scarce.
Population
7,652 university students across 26 studies in Pakistan
Design
Systematic review and meta-analysis of cross-sectional and longitudinal studies
Key result
The overall pooled prevalence of depressive symptoms among university students in Pakistan was 42.66%.
Authors
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High prevalence (~43%) among Pakistani students supports screening; leaves open effective interventions in LMICs.
Meta-Analysis (n=7,652)
Effect estimate: 42.66% (95% CI 34.82-50.89)
The overall prevalence of depressive symptoms among university students in Pakistan is highly prevalent at 42.66%, indicating a significant mental health burden in this population.
Khan et al. (2021) conducted a meta-analysis in Depressive symptoms (n=7,652). University students was evaluated on Prevalence of depressive symptoms (42.66%, 95% CI 34.82-50.89). The overall pooled prevalence of depressive symptoms among university students in Pakistan was 42.66%.