A study on the prevalence of depression and its risk factors among adult population of Siliguri subdivision of Darjeeling district, West Bengal.

Introduction: Considering morbidity and mortality, depression is a burning issue in the modern civilization. Early diagnosis and treatment significantly reduces the incidence of morbidity and mortality. In this context, the present study was conducted to find the prevalence and associated factors of depression among adult population of Siliguri subdivision, Darjeeling district, West Bengal.

Materials and Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among adult population (≥18 years) of Siliguri subdivision of Darjeeling district, West Bengal. Thirty-cluster sampling method was used to identify the study participants. Beck's depression inventory-II was used as the screening tool. Binary logistic regression was done to find the associated factors of depression using IBM SPSS software Version 20.0 (Armonk, New York).

Results: Overall, 36% of the study participants were depressed and 11% were significantly depressed. In binary logistic regression, female gender, rural resident, and lower educational status were found to be significantly associated with depression.

Conclusion: Screening of depression and early identification of associated factors helps in reducing the adverse outcome of depression. More than one-third of the population depressed and there were some modifiable associated factors such as educational status and rural residence.