Academic Stress, Anxiety and Depression among the Students of Armed Forces Medical College, Dhaka Cantonment

Introduction: Study in Medical College can act as a contributing factor in developing depression in medical students which may have possible negative academic and professional consequences. Study in any medical course is perceived as being inherently stressful across the globe. Studies on psychological problems such as academic stress, anxiety and depression among medical students have seen that these disorders are under diagnosed and under treated. In this background the present study was carried out with an aim to assess the magnitude of depression and its associated factors in medical students in AFMC. Objective: To find out the prevalence of depressive symptoms and its associated factors among the students of Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Dhaka, Bangladesh. Materials and Methods: This descriptive type of cross sectional study was carried out in AFMC, Dhaka, Bangladesh for a period from February to April 2014. A total of 211 students studying from 1styear to 4th year MBBS participated in the study. Depression was assessed by Goldberg’s General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) and Beck Depression Inventory(BDI) scoring was used to find out the level of depression. BDI scoring 0-10 was considered as normal ups and downs, 11-20 as mild depression, 21-30 as moderate depression, 31-40 as severe depression and more than 40 as extreme depression. Additional questions regarding socio demographic variables were also included. Data analysis was done by software SPSS 19 for windows. Results: A total of 211 students participated in the study. Among them 86(40.8%) students were reported as having mild to moderate depressive symptoms. Depression was very significantly (p<0.001) higher in 1st year 55(83.3%) than 2nd year 25(38.46%), 3rd year 03(5.45%) and 4th year 03(12%) students. Depression was significantly (p<0.05) higher in Non English Medium background 82(38.8%) than English Medium background 04(1.9%). Conclusion: Depression may be a significant hidden problem for few of the Medical students and mechanisms to identify and help students with mental health problems should be seriously considered. This calls for in-house counseling service and mentorship program at medical colleges for early detection and treatment of these problems that may help in the improvement of academic performance. Journal of Armed Forces Medical College Bangladesh Vol.12(1) 2016: 79-82

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Prevalence of Anxiety and Depression among Medical Students

Revista Brasileira de Educação Médica ◽

10.1590/1981-52712015v39n3e02662014 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 39 (3) ◽

pp. 388-394 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Fábio de Oliveira Tabalipa ◽

Mariana Fuganti de Souza ◽

Gláucia Pfützenreuter ◽

Vinícius Carriero Lima ◽

Eliane Traebert ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Medical Students ◽

Poisson Regression ◽

Associated Factors ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Prevalence Of Depression

ABSTRACT Background Medical students are a vulnerable population to develop depression and anxiety disorders. Objective To estimate the prevalence and associated factors of anxiety and depression among medical students. Methods A cross-sectional study with a random sample (n = 346) of medical students at a Brazilian university was performed. The Beck Depression Anxiety Inventory was used to measure anxiety and depression levels. Crude and adjusted analyses were performed using Poisson regression. Results The prevalence of anxiety was 35.5% and depression was 32.8%. The prevalence of anxiety and depression was 14% higher and 16% higher among women (p = 0.025 and p = 0.006, respectively). Students whose parents were not physicians reported 23% higher prevalence of anxiety (p = 0.006), and those who had physician parents reported 29% higher prevalence of depression (p = 0.034). Those who always or often felt pushed by their parents showed 22% higher prevalence of anxiety (p =.006) and 19% higher depression (p = 0.016). Students who had concerns over the future had 15% higher prevalence of depression (p = 0.017). Conclusion The prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms was higher than the average found in the general population.

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Social anxiety symptoms and body image dissatisfaction in medical students: prevalence and correlates

Jornal Brasileiro de Psiquiatria ◽

10.1590/0047-2085000000187 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 67 (2) ◽

pp. 65-73 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Jacqueline M. Oliveira Regis ◽

Ana Teresa A. Ramos-Cerqueira ◽

Maria Cristina P. Lima ◽

Albina R. Torres

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Body Image ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Medical Students ◽

Social Anxiety ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Body Image Dissatisfaction ◽

Female Sex ◽

Making Friends

ABSTRACT Objective Social anxiety disorder (SAD) and body image dissatisfaction (BID) are common problems among college students, but few studies focused on medical students. We aimed to estimate the prevalence, severity and correlates of SAD symptoms and BID among medical students of a Brazilian public university. Methods A cross-sectional study with 479 students, using structured instruments: Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN), Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ), and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Bivariate analyses were followed by logistic regression models to obtain independent predictors of SAD symptoms, BID and both outcomes combined. Results Most students were single (99%) and female (58.7%). The prevalence rates of SAD symptoms (SPIN ≥ 19) and BID (BSQ ≥ 81) were 36.3% and 34.7%, respectively. Depressive symptoms (BDI ≥ 19) occurred in 8.8% of the sample. SAD symptoms were independently associated with: BID, thoughts of abandoning the course, difficulty making friends, depressive symptoms, and mental health treatment prior to university. Besides SAD symptoms, BID was associated with female sex, difficulty making friends, depressive symptoms, and body mass index (BMI). Seventy-eight students (16.3%) presented SAD symptoms and BID, which was associated with female sex, difficulty making friends, dissatisfaction with the course, depressive symptoms and BMI. Conclusion SAD symptoms and BID are common and related problems that should be screened for among medical students. The identification of specific correlates could contribute to the elaboration of preventive measures, minimizing the distress and negative impact of these mental health problems on relationships and academic performance.

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Stress and mental health among medical students

Srpski arhiv za celokupno lekarstvo ◽

10.2298/sarh1312780b ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 141 (11-12) ◽

pp. 780-784 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Dusan Backovic ◽

Milos Maksimovic ◽

Dragana Davidovic ◽

Jelena Ilic-Zivojinovic ◽

Dejan Stevanovic

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Status ◽

Medical Students ◽

Adverse Effects ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Demographic Data ◽

General Health Questionnaire ◽

Great Influence ◽

Teaching Staff ◽

Medical Studies

Introduction. Medical studies bring many stressful activities to students. Prolonged stress can make adverse effects to mental health and lead to further professional burnout. Objective. The aim of this study was to assess the association of stress impact and adverse effects of medical studies with psychological distress among medical students. Methods. The cross sectional study was conducted on 367 fourth?year medical students of the Faculty of Medicine in Belgrade, by means of the anonymous questionnaire, containing: socio?demographic data, self?reported health status and stressful influences of studying activities. Mental health status was estimated by General Health Questionnaire (GHQ?12). Results. More than 50% of students perceive frequent feeling of psychic tension, and one third has problems with insomnia. Nearly one?half of students assessed their general stress level as moderate or high. Exams were estimated as high stressor in 63.1% of all students. Stressful effects of communication with teaching staff were reported by one quarter of the examinees. The scores of GHQ?12 were above the threshold in 55.6 % of all students. Mental health problems among students were most significantly associated with stressful experience during exams and contacts with teaching staff. Conclusion. Academic stress makes great influence on mental health of medical students. Reduction of stress effects should be directed to optimization of the examination process and improvement of communication skills.

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Rates of Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms among Female Undergraduate Medical Students at National Medical College and Teaching Hospital

IRA-International Journal of Management & Social Sciences (ISSN 2455-2267) ◽

10.21013/jmss.v14.n2sp.p17 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 171

Author(s):

Sandesh Sawant ◽

Garima Tripathi ◽

Tripti Pal Raman

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Medical Students ◽

Family History ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Anxiety Symptoms ◽

Drop Out ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Female Undergraduate ◽

Undergraduate Medical Students ◽

The Mean

Background: Literature states that Depression and anxiety symptoms carry impairment to medical students, including poor academic performance, drop out, substance abuse and suicide. A high prevalence of anxiety and depression among medical students has been reported worldwide. Higher prevalence is noticed among female students.Aim/Objectives: To study rates of anxiety and depressive symptoms among female undergraduate medical students.Methods: The present study is a cross-sectional study. The purposive sampling method was used. Duration of study was 6 months. A total number of participants’ were 100. Self-developed questionnaire and Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale were used. Results: Findings showed that the mean score of anxiety symptoms was 8.08 (SD± 4.07). Similarly, the mean score of Depressive symptoms was 4.99(SD± 3.28). Fifty-two per cent of the students rated anxiety symptoms and 25% of the student rated depressive symptoms between borderline to the abnormal range. Total 9% of the students reported that they have a family history of mental illness among which 8% reported borderline to an abnormal range of anxiety however 52 % who had no family history also scored the same range. Similarly, 17% of the students reported there were life events which were stressful among which 13% scored borderline to abnormal range anxiety symptoms. Likewise, only 5% of the students scored borderline to the abnormal range of depressive symptoms.Conclusion: It was observed that female undergraduate medical students experience both anxiety and depressive symptoms however the percentage of depressive symptoms were less compared to anxiety symptoms. Further studies are required to evaluate the associated factors responsible for depressive and anxiety symptoms.

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Depression and anxiety among Tunisian medical students “binge viewers”

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/j.eurpsy.2017.01.1163 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 41 (S1) ◽

pp. S675-S676 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

M. Boudali ◽

M. Hamza ◽

S. Bourgou ◽

L. Jouini ◽

F. Charfi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Trait Anxiety ◽

State Anxiety ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Emotional Difficulties ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Mild Depression ◽

Competing Interest ◽

Online Streaming ◽

Tv Show

IntroductionSince the advent of online streaming television, a new behavioural phenomenon have emerged among millennial, named “binge watching” that is viewing more than two episodes of a TV show in the same sitting. Whether or not this behaviour reflects emotional difficulties has been poorly studied.AimsDescribe the phenomenon and search a possible link with depression and anxiety.MethodsFifty medical students were recruited. A questionnaire exploring the circumstances, the purpose and the outcome of the binge viewing was fulfilled. The Beck depressive inventory and the state-trait anxiety inventory were passed for the assessment of depression and anxiety.ResultsAmong the 50 students questioned, 68% met the criteria of binge viewers and 64.7% of them adopted this behaviour at least once a week with an overall average of screen exposure of 3.8 hours in one sitting. Before the binge watching, 35.3% reported excitement and 29.4% boredom and have used it mostly to pass time (47.1%) and for fun (44.1%). Participants have felt more relaxed and happier after the viewing. Mild depression was found in 10 cases and moderate depression in 5 cases. Anxiety scores averaged 35.38 for state anxiety and 40.32 for trait anxiety. An inverse relationship was found between depression and anxiety scores and the frequency of the binge watching and its exposure duration. The correlation was hover non significant.ConclusionsCould it be that the binge watching is a means of fighting against anxiety and depression rather than an evidence of emotional difficulties? Further studies are needed.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

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Comorbid anxiety and depression: Prevalence and associated factors among pregnant women in Arba Minch zuria district, Gamo zone, southern Ethiopia

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0248331 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (3) ◽

pp. e0248331

Author(s):

Agegnehu Bante ◽

Abera Mersha ◽

Zerihun Zerdo ◽

Biresaw Wassihun ◽

Tomas Yeheyis

Keyword(s):

Pregnant Women ◽

Associated Factors ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Health Problems ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Southern Ethiopia ◽

P Value ◽

Medical Illness ◽

Comorbid Anxiety

IntroductionPrenatal anxiety and depression are major health problems all over the world. The negative sequela of prenatal comorbid anxiety and depression (CAD) has been suggested to be higher than that of anxiety or depression alone. CAD increases the odds of preterm birth, low birth weight, prolonged labor, operative deliveries, postpartum psychiatric disorders and long term cognitive impairment for the newborn. Despite its significant ill consequences, there is a dearth of studies in low-and middle-income countries. So far, to the best of our knowledge, no study assessed the prevalence of CAD in Ethiopia. Hence, the purpose of this study was to assess CAD and associated factors among pregnant women in Arba Minch Zuria district, Gamo zone, southern Ethiopia.MethodsA community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 676 pregnant women from January 01 to November 30, 2019. Patient Health Questionnaire 9-item (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scales were used to assess depression and anxiety respectively. The data were collected electronically using an open data kit (ODK) collect android application and analyzed using Stata version 15.0. Bivariate and multivariable analyses were carried out to identify factors associated with CAD using binary logistic regression. Statistical significance was set at p-value < 0.05.ResultsA total of 667 women were involved. The prevalence of CAD was 10.04% [95% confidence interval (CI): 7.76, 12.33]. Being married [adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 0.16, 95% CI: 0.05, 0.56], categorized in the highest wealth quintile [AOR: 2.83, 95% CI: 1.17, 6.84], having medical illness [AOR: 3.56, 95% CI: 1.68, 7.54], encountering pregnancy danger signs [AOR: 2.66, 95% CI: 1.06, 6.67], experiencing life-threatening events [AOR: 2.11, 95% CI: 1.15, 3.92] and household food insecurity [AOR: 3.51, 95% CI: 1.85, 6.64] were significantly associated with CAD.ConclusionsIn general, one in every ten women faced CAD in the study area. Nutritional interventions, early identification and treatment of pregnancy-related illness and medical ailments, prenatal mental health problems screening and interventions are imperative to minimize the risk of CAD in pregnant women.

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Predictors of Stress, Anxiety and Depression among Undergraduate Medical Students: A Scenario In A Medical College of Kolkata.

IOSR Journal of Dental and Medical Sciences ◽

10.9790/0853-1605071012 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 16 (05) ◽

pp. 10-12

Author(s):

Saikat Bhattacharya ◽

Debadatta Chakrabarty ◽

Krishnadas Bhattacharyya ◽

Apurba Chowdhury

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Undergraduate Medical Students ◽

Medical College

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Prevalence of study related anxiety among medical students: a study from a medical college in central Nepal

Journal of Karnali Academy of Health Sciences ◽

10.3126/jkahs.v3i2.29644 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 22-27

Author(s):

Praveen Bhattarai ◽

Devavrat Joshi ◽

Bhupendra Singh Gurung

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Early Identification ◽

Mental Distress ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Medical College ◽

Central Nepal ◽

High Prevalence ◽

Constant Tension ◽

Negative Effect ◽

Degree Of Severity

Introduction: Medical education can lead to anxiety and depression in medical students which may have negative academic and professional consequences on them. The objective of this study was to find out the prevalence of study related anxiety, its severity and frequency of different symptoms related to anxiety among medical students. Results: Study-related anxiety was found in 73.33% of students. Anxiety was more common amongst final year medical students (83.33%) followed by 1st/2nd year students (76.67%). Prevalence of anxiety was found to be less among 4th-year medical students (63.33%). The majority of the students experienced a mild to moderate level of anxiety. i.e.44.31 % and 36.37 % respectively. The most common symptoms of study related anxiety were recurrent fearful thoughts about studies, constant tension about studies and panic feeling about exam in varying degree of severity. Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of study related anxiety among medical students in the current study. Early identification and timely intervention of study related anxiety symptoms in medical students will prevent mental distress and negative effect on their academic pursuits.

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Prevalence, Detection and Management of Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms in Unemployed Patients Attending General Practitioners

Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1046/j.1440-1614.2000.00645.x ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 34 (1) ◽

pp. 107-113 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Elizabeth J. Comino ◽

Elizabeth Harris ◽

Derrick Silove ◽

Vijaya Manicavasagar ◽

Mark F. Harris

Keyword(s):

General Practice ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

General Practitioners ◽

General Health Questionnaire ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Unemployed People ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Use Of Services

Introduction: This study examined the detection and management of anxiety and depressive symptoms among unemployed patients attending general practitioners (GPs). Method: A cross-sectional study was undertaken of anxiety and depressive symptoms in general practice using measures completed by patients and GPs. Eligible patients were adults aged 18 to 64 years either working (n = 2273) or unemployed (n = 392). Results: Eighty per cent of patients were attending their regular GP at the time of the study. Unemployed patients were found to have a higher mean general health questionnaire (GHQ-12) score than employed patients (3.8 compared with 2.4, p < 0.001); were more likely to report symptoms of anxiety and depression which required medical treatment during the previous 4 weeks (30.9% compared with 14.6%, p < 0.001); and were more likely to have been treated for anxiety and depression by the GP (27.8% compared with 15.7%, p < 0.001). Among patients who the GPs reported treating for anxiety and depression, unemployed patients were 3.3 times (95% CI: 2.0–5.4) more likely to be prescribed medication than employed patients when severity was controlled but were no more likely to be referred to other health services. Unemployed patients identified increased use of services and were less satisfied with the care that they had received. Conclusions: Unemployed patients attending GPs have an increased risk of anxiety and depressive symptoms. Increased prescription of medication as opposed to referral suggests that GPs may treat their unemployed patients differently to employed patients. GPs need to be aware of the higher risk and severity of anxiety and depressive symptoms among unemployed patients and their desire to be more actively involved in their treatment. General practice is an important setting for addressing the health needs of unemployed people.

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