Depression, Anxiety and Stress among Undergraduate Students in Bankura District, West Bengal: Associations with Gender and Educational Stream

The present study examined the levels of depression, anxiety, and stress among undergraduate students in Bankura District, West Bengal, and their associations with gender and educational stream. A quantitative descriptive cross-sectional survey design was adopted with a sample of 230 students selected from three colleges. Data were collected using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) and analysed through frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and Pearson’s Chi-square test. The findings revealed that 73.48% of students experienced some level of depression, 76.52% anxiety, and 67.39% stress. Gender showed no significant association with any of the three dimensions. Educational stream was significantly associated with depression, with science students showing a higher proportion of extremely severe depression than Arts students, while no significant associations were found for anxiety or stress.