Prevalencia de la sintomatología depresiva en aspirantes de un programa de licenciatura en psicología.

Depressive symptomatology affects individuals' development across various domains, including physical, cognitive, emotional, and social aspects. University students, when faced with the demands of pursuing a degree, may experience depressive symptoms that can significantly impact their academic trajectories. This study aims to assess depressive symptomatology among applicants to a bachelor’s program in Psychology at UMSNH. A descriptive-correlational and cross-sectional study was conducted using the BDI-II and CESD-R. The sample consisted of 352 applicants, of whom 196 were identified with mild to severe symptomatology according to BDI-II, and 187 according to the CESD-R, with a 2.55% difference between the instruments. Key findings revealed that approximately 55.68% of participants in this cohort exhibited some level of depressive symptomatology. Of this percentage, 77% were women, aged 16 to 21 years (M = 18.35, SD = .989); 79.6% were exclusively dedicated to their studies, 89.8% were enrolled in a face-to-face modality, and 32.1% reported having a formal diagnosis, among other factors. The conclusion highlights the importance of conducting such assessments to identify depressive symptomatology in psychology program candidates and to propose actions aimed at promoting mental health self-care within this group.