Comparison of depression levels of university students according to different occupational and sports training contents

This study was conducted to compare the depression levels of university students studying in programs with different educational contents. Method: This research was conducted using a cross-sectional survey model based on a quantitative research approach. The research population consisted of university students aged 18-24. Since the number of students participating in the survey was unknown, the sampling method from an unknown population was used when calculating the sample size. The sample consisted of 233 male and female students who voluntarily participated in the research, studying in the Coaching Education Department of the Faculty of Sports Sciences at Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University and the Civil Defense and Firefighting Department of the Bozkurt Vocational School at Kastamonu University. In this quantitative research, the Beck Depression Inventory was used to determine the depression levels of students studying in the departments of the Faculty of Sports Sciences and the Firefighting department. The Beck Depression Inventory was prepared online (Google Forms). During the data collection process, the prepared forms were distributed to the participants through various digital platforms. The responses obtained from the participants were recorded directly through the online system and analyzed. Findings: The average age of the students was 19.97±1.63, and their average depression score was 11.43±9.21. When comparing the depression scores of the participants, the difference between female and male students in the Civil Defense and Firefighting Department was statistically significant, while no statistically significant differences were found in other comparisons. When the depression scores of the participants were evaluated individually, the highest depression score was found in the Civil Defense and Firefighting Department (50.00). Conclusion: Looking at the findings of this study, it was observed that the average depression score of the students in the Faculty of Sports Sciences and the Civil Defense and Firefighting Department was at the level of mild depression according to the Beck Depression Scale within both groups. However, no statistically significant difference was found between the groups. This result is thought to stem from the different professional and sports training content and the practical courses.