The assessment of stress level, anxiety, depressive symptoms, and defense mechanisms among Polish and English medical students

AbstractObjectivesThis study has been designed to elucidate the prevalence of stress, depression and poor sleep among medical students in a Pakistani medical school. There is a paucity of data on social support among medical students in Pakistan; an important predictor of depressive symptoms. Therefore, this study was also aimed to demonstrate the direct and indirect impact of social support in alleviating depressive symptoms in the study sample.MethodsThis observational cross-sectional study was conducted in Lahore, Pakistan, where a total of 400 students at a medical school were approached between 1st January to 31st March 2018 to participate in the study. The study sample comprised of medical and dental students enrolled at a privately financed Pakistani medical and dental school. The participants responded to a self-administered survey comprising of five parts: a) demographics, b) Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), c) Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), d) Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) and e) Perceived Stress Scale-4 (PSS-4). All data were analysed using SPSS v. 20. Linear regression analysis was used to reveal the predictors of depression.ResultsIn total, 353 medical students participated, yielding a response rate of 88.25%. Overall, poor sleep quality was experienced by 205 (58.1%) students. Mild to severe depression was reported by 83% of the respondents: mild depression by 104 (29.5%), moderate depression by 104 (29.5%), moderately severe depression by 54 (15.3%) and severe depression by 31 (8.8%) respondents. Subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, daytime dysfunction and stress levels were significantly associated with depression symptoms. Social support was not significantly associated with depressive symptoms in the regression model (Beta = -0.08, P < 0.09); however, it acted as a significant mediator, reducing the strength of the relationship between depressive symptoms and sleep quality and stress.ConclusionsAccording to our study, a large proportion of healthcare (medical and dental) students were found to be suffering from mild to moderate depression and experienced poor sleep quality. It is concluded that social support is an important variable in predicting depressive symptomatology by ameliorating the effects of poor sleep quality and high stress levels.

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Depressive Symptoms and Burnout Among Medical Students: a Prospective Study

Journal of General Internal Medicine ◽

10.1007/s11606-021-06765-x ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Padmini D. Ranasinghe ◽

Jocelynn T. Owusu ◽

Amanda Bertram ◽

Henry Michtalik ◽

Hsin-Chieh Yeh ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Medical Students ◽

Prospective Study ◽

A Prospective Study

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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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Avaliação do nível de estresse dos alunos de medicina na primeira prova prática de anatomia/ Assessment of the stress level of medical students in their first practical anatomy test

Brazilian Journal of Health Review ◽

10.34119/bjhrv4n5-357 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4 (5) ◽

pp. 22665-22669

Author(s):

Debora Oliveira Queiroz Machado ◽

Ana Flavia Correia Evaristo ◽

Barbara Silva Alves ◽

Camilla Melo Mendoça ◽

Nathalia Oliveira Queiroz Machado

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Stress Level ◽

De Medicina

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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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Suicidal ideation among medical students, burnout or depression? Maybe both.

Revista Brasileira de Educação e Saúde ◽

10.18378/rebes.v11i1.8530 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 69-77

Author(s):

THAÍS CAMPELO BEDÊ VALE ◽

LÍVIA RODRIGUES DE ARAÚJO ◽

VITÓRIA NUNES MEDEIROS ◽

JOSÉ HÍCARO HELLANO GONÇALVES LIMA PAIVA ◽

TATIANA PASCHOALETTE RODRIGUES BACHUR ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Medical Students ◽

Suicidal Ideation ◽

Emotional Support ◽

Female Gender ◽

Sleep Time ◽

Mental Condition ◽

Cross Sectional

Depression is a common mental condition worldwide and a major cause of debility, with the potential to impair the quality of life of affected people. Medical students are more likely to develop psychiatric disorders, with depression, anxiety, and burnout being the most common ones. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of depressive symptoms in medical students and their association with burnout and aspects of life. This is an analytical cross-sectional study. Data collection was performed using four validated scales and a questionnaire in 511 medical students from the first to the fourth year from different universities. Depression was present in 49% of the students. A correlation was found between depression and female gender. Regarding the students' daily sleep time, 54.5% of the students slept only 3 to 6 hours per night. The use of psychoactive substances was reported by 29.9%. Regarding the emotional support offered by universities, about 92.8% of students with depressive symptoms reported not receiving adequate emotional support. As for quality of life, all domains were impaired among students with depression. According to the two-dimensional criterion, 37% of the students have burnout, with correlation between the presence of the syndrome and depressive symptoms. In addition, burnout proved to be an independent risk factor for suicidal ideation and self-mutilation. New methods that can help detect and address factors that trigger stress and depressive symptoms in medical students are needed to reduce the incidence of depression.

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Stress and Its Association with the Academic Performance of Undergraduate Fourth Year Medical Students at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

IIUM Medical Journal Malaysia ◽

10.31436/imjm.v13i1.488 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Harlina H Siraj ◽

Salam A ◽

Roslan R ◽

Hasan NA ◽

Jin TH ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Academic Performance ◽

Medical Students ◽

Stress Level ◽

High Stress ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Undergraduate Medical Students ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Grade Point ◽

Close Family Member ◽

Negative Effect

Introduction: Student can be stressed due to different stressors such as academic, financial, health related or loss of close family member or friend, etc. Stress is the bodies’ reaction both neurologically and physiologically to adapt to the new condition. Stress has a negative effect on the academic performance of the students. This study was aimed to explore the stress and stressors and also to determine the association between stress levels and the academic performances in terms of cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of undergraduate medical students. Methods: It was a cross-sectional study conducted among all 234 year-4 medical students of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), session 2011-2012. Sample size comprised of 179 students after fulfilling all inclusion and exclusion criteria. A validated Medical Students’ Stressor Questionnaire (MSSQ) was used to collect the data. Stress level and its association with CGPA of semester-1 examination were analysed. Results: Response rate was 76.49%, where 72% were female and 69% resided in the hostel. Academic Related and Social-related Stressors caused for severe and high stress in 84% and 49% respondents respectively, with insignificant differences between gender and residency. Respondents with a high and severe stress level were observed to have higher CGPA. Conclusion: UKM medical students are highly resourceful to manage their stress well and thus denying the negative effect of stress towards their academic performance. Medical schools should train students exposing various personal and professional developmental activities that able to face the everyday challenges and manage stress well and thereby achieve better academic performance.

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