**5. Symptoms of depression and anxiety**

#### **5.1 Depression**

In recent years, depression has appeared as an issue of concern for students globally as it impacts the quality of their life and ability to complete their academic studies successfully [7]. Depression is a state of a psychiatric disorder characterized by symptoms of persistent depressed mood almost every day for a 2-week period. It is characterized by a feeling of sadness, emptiness, hopelessness, and loss of interest and pleasure. DSM-5, 2013:160 explains significant characteristics of depression where a person must present with five or more of the following symptoms and represents a change from previous functioning–including significant weight loss when not dieting or weight gain, insomnia or hypersomnia nearly every day, fatigue, psychomotor agitation or retardation, feelings of worthlessness, diminished ability to think or concentrate, and suicidal thoughts. The DSM-5 outlines the criteria for diagnosis and common features: a sad, empty, or irritable mood accompanied by somatic and cognitive changes that significantly affect the individual's capacity to function [1].

#### **5.2 Anxiety**

Anxiety also coexists with depression, and it comprises constant worry that can be extremely incapacitating. People who suffer from generalized anxiety worry excessively about the outcome of events, find it hard to concentrate on the here and now, often lose focus on what they are doing quickly and are restless, become less productive, and are characterized by indecisiveness that extends to situations with varied options and daily tasks as well, experience fatigue, irritability, and headaches. Mental tension may also aggravate muscle tension and consequently lead to recurrent body aches and pains. In addition, some come common symptoms include sweating profusely, palpitations, lightheadedness, shortness of breath, occasional loss of consciousness, struggling to breathe, recurrent insomnia where one battles to fall asleep and experiences specific fears that become too overwhelming, cramping, constipation as well as feeling bloated [1].

Given the above symptoms of depression and anxiety, a student may find it difficult to fulfill their role when experiencing depression and anxiety. Therefore, it is critical to deepen our understanding of mental illnesses to alleviate their negative outcomes on students' education success.
