scholarly journals How Large is The Burden of Depression in A Medical School? A Cross-Sectional Study Among Medical Students in Nigeria

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edmund Ndudi Ossai ◽  
Irene Ifeyinwa Eze ◽  
Rejoice Chinecherem Onyenakazi ◽  
Elias Ifeyinwa Ugebe ◽  
Basil C Eze ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Mental health of students deteriorate when they begin studies in a medical school and remains poor throughout the period of training. Notwithstanding that medical students of today are the physicians of tomorrow who need to have stable mental health for effective performance, mental status of this group have not been adequately explored in the Nigeria context. The study aimed to determine the prevalence of depression and associated factors among medical students in Nigeria. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out on all matriculated medical students of Ebonyi state University Abakaliki, Nigeria. Information was obtained from 522 medical students that were eligible to participate in the study using self-administered structured questionnaire. Becks Depression Inventory was used to determine the prevalence of depression. Chi square test was used in the analysis to ascertain association between variables. Level of statistical significance was determined by a p value of <0.05.Results: Mean age of the students was 23.2±3.3 years and majority, 60.2% were males. Prevalence of depression was 17.4%. Third-year class (major examination class) had the highest proportion of students who were depressed, 24.2% while final year class had the least, 8.8%. Coping mechanisms for low moods included sleeping, 50.4% and having interactions with colleagues, 46.9%. Factors associated with depression included being <25 years, (p=0.008), being in clinical school, (p=0.023) and being afraid some students may not graduate from medical school, (p=0.030).Conclusions: Burden of depression was high among the students and most pronounced among third year students. There is need for proper orientation of newly admitted medical students on the medical curriculum by authorities of the university. Medical students preparing for major examinations should be well supported and encouraged by their colleagues and efforts should be made to decrease undue anxiety among the students. Adequate measures should be put in place for early detection and prompt management of cases of depression among the students.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enguday Tirfeneh ◽  
Mengesha Srah

Abstract Background depression is one of the most serious and prevalent mental illnesses that can result in serious disability and ending life by committing suicide and homicide. The risks of having depression are substantially higher in persons who have parental neglect when compared to the general population.Objective To detect prevalence of depression and its association with parental neglect among adolescents in governmental high schools at Aksum town, Tigray, Ethiopia 2019Method A facility based cross-sectional study was conducted from January 1-30/2019 at Aksum town high schools. Public health questionnaire was used in this study to detect Depression. Study participants were selected using simple random sampling technique. Data was collected with face to face interview. Data was analyzed using statistical package for social science version 22. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to see the association between depression and parental neglect. Adjusted Odds ratio at a p-value <0.05 with 95% confidence interval was taken to declare statistical significance of variables.


2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (12) ◽  
pp. 1723-1731
Author(s):  
Waseem Sajjad ◽  
Anwisha Samreen ◽  
Syed Asfand Yar Shah ◽  
Afifa Batool ◽  
Muhammad Umair ◽  
...  

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of depression among medical students and its association with various sociodemographic characteristics. Study Design: Cross-Sectional Study. Setting: Nishtar Medical University, Multan. Period: August 2019 to September 2020. Material & Methods: A sample of 315 medical students were chosen by stratified random sampling technique. Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) was used for screening and assessing the severity of depression. A special questionnaire was designed containing sociodemographic and educational characteristics. Data were collected via online forms and were analyzed using SPSS V26. Results: Out of 315 students, who participated in the study, 134 (42.5%) were female students, and 181 (57.5%) were male students. 63 (20%) students were taken from each academic year from 1st year through 5th year (final year). 64% of the students were suffering from depression. The proportion of students suffering from mild, moderate, moderately severe, and severe depression was 27%, 18%, 11%, and 8% respectively. Depression was more prevalent among female students (73.1%) as compared to male students (58.0%) with a p-value <0.05. Conclusion: Depression is a serious problem for medical students. It was significant among female, preclinical students, living in the home with a family history of depression in financial pressure. It should be sorted out early to make early interventions.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. e0249597
Author(s):  
Farrukh Ishaque Saah ◽  
Hubert Amu ◽  
Kwaku Kissah-Korsah

Background Poor mental health often interrupts people’s regular activities making them unable to work effectively resulting in poor performance and high turnover intention. We examined the prevalence and predictors of depression, anxiety and stress among waiters in upscale restaurants. Methods This descriptive cross-sectional study involved 384 waiters in upscale restaurants in the Accra Metropolis. Data were collected using a pre-tested questionnaire which embedded DASS-21 (Cronbach Alpha = 0.815). The analysis included descriptive and inferential statistics using STATA 15. Statistical significance was set at p-value <0.05 at 95% confidence interval. Results The prevalence of depression was 38.3%, while anxiety and stress were 52.3% and 34.4% respectively. Females (AOR = 1.69, 95%CI = 1.02–2.79), waiters who foresee a better remuneration (AOR = 3.09, 95%CI = 1.95–4.87), consume caffeine (AOR = 1.44, 95%CI = 0.90–2.32), and use non-prescription drugs (AOR = 2.22, 95%CI = 1.39–3.55) were more likely to have depression. Females (AOR = 1.86, 95%CI = 1.17–2.96), those who foresee better remuneration (AOR = 2.85, 95%CI = 1.82–4.49), and those who use non-prescription drugs (AOR = 2.13, 95%CI = 1.38–3.28) were more likely to have anxiety. Females (AOR = 1.74, 95%CI = 1.01–2.99), waiters who are positive of career success (AOR = 1.70, 95%CI = 0.99–2.91), who foresee better remuneration (AOR = 2.99, 95%CI = 1.85–4.83), consume caffeine (AOR = 1.54, 95%CI = 0.93–2.54), and who use non-prescription drugs (AOR = 3.16, 95%CI = 1.93–5.17) were more likely to be stressed. Conclusion There is a high prevalence of poor mental health among waiters. Urgent intervention by hospitality stakeholders is needed to improve their working conditions and psychosocial health to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goal of promoting mental health and wellbeing.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nishan Babu Pokhrel ◽  
Ramesh Khadayat ◽  
Pratikchya Tulachan

Abstract Background: Medical students and residents were found to have suffered from depression, anxiety, and burnout in various studies. However, these entities have not been adequately explored in the context of Nepal. We proposed to determine the prevalence of depression, anxiety, burnout, their associated factors, and identify their predictors in a sample of medical students and residents in a Nepalese medical school.Methods: It was a cross-sectional study with 651 medical students and residents chosen at random between December 2018 and February 2019. The validated Nepali version of Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory, and Medical Students' Stressor Questionnaire were used to assess depression, anxiety, burnout, and stressors respectively. We used univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses to identify the correlation of predictor variables with depression, anxiety, and burnout.Results: The overall prevalence of burnout (48.8%; 95% CI 44.9-52.7) and anxiety (45.3%; 95% CI 41.4-49.2) was more than that of depression (31%; 95% CI 27.5-34.7). Burnout and depression were more prevalent in residents than in medical students (burnout: 64.5% vs 37.6%, P-value < 0.0001; depression: 33.7% vs 29.1%, P-value 0.21). Whereas, medical students were found more anxious than residents (46.3% versus 43.96%, P-value 0.55). Academic related stressors caused high-grade stress to participants. Multivariable model for depression significantly showed anxiety, personal burnout, and work-related burnout as risk enhancing correlates; satisfaction with academic performance as a protective correlate. Similarly, the multivariate model for anxiety significantly identified female gender, depression, personal burnout, teaching and learning related stressors, and past history of mental illness as risk enhancing correlates; being satisfied with academic performance, getting adequate sleep, and being a second-year resident as protective correlates. The logistic model for burnout significantly showed being a first-year resident, depression, anxiety, and drive and desire related stressors as positive predictors. None of the variables were identified as significant negative predictors of burnout. Conclusions: A high prevalence of depression, anxiety, and burnout was seen among medical students and residents. Most of them were stressed with academic-related factors. A strong correlation between teaching and learning-related stressors with depression and anxiety may be a call for an efficient and more student-friendly curriculum.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
(MD

Abstract Background: Undiagnosed depression among university students has an adverse effect on the wellbeing and academic performance of students. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of depression and associated factors among Debre Birhan university students. Methodology: Institutional based cross-sectional study design is conducted in Debre Birhan University from April to June 2013 E.C. Three hundred sixty nine students participated in this study which was selected by simple random sampling technique. Data were collected by using a self-administered PHQ-9 standard depression questionnaire. First the data was entered into in Epidata 3.1 and then was exported to SPSS version 20 for analysis. Associated factors were identified using binary logistic regression and variables with a p-value < 0.05 were declared as statistically significant factors with the outcome variables. Result: All of the study subjects were between ages 18 and 33 with a mean age of 22.65 9 ± 2.78. The overall prevalence of depression is 17.1%. Among this according to PHQ-9 scores cut scores, 161(43.6 %) scored as normal (0–4), 145(39.3%) scored as mild (5–9), 53(14.4%) scored as moderate (10–14), 4(1.1%) scored as moderately severe (15–19) and 6(1.6%) students scored as sever (> 20). In multivariate analysis being female AOR = 9.28[3.47–24.81], academic year AOR = 0.236[0.059–0.936], smoking 26.3[9.33–74.1] and alcohol use AOR of 2.62[0.95–7.21] are significantly associated with depression. Conclusion and recommendation: This study found a considerable proportion of undergraduate students with depression. Higher institutions need to pay special attention to students especially those who are female, junior students, smokers and alcohol users.


2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Husam Eldin Elsawi Khalafalla ◽  
Mohamed Salih Mahfouz ◽  
Muath Hassan Ibrahim Najmi ◽  
Sayyaf Abdullah Mohammad Najmi ◽  
Qasem Ali Yahya Arishi ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND: Physical activity is one of the most important factors that affect human health; it reduces the chances of hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, breast and colon cancer, and depression.OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to measure prevalence of physical activity and to determine the factors affecting the level of physical activity among medical student in Jazan University.METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among the students of medical colleges of Jazan University. A random sample of 419 was determined using most recent physical activity prevalence. A validated self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection.RESULTS: There is a high prevalence of inactivity among study participants (88.1%). Females (91.7%) were more significantly (p value=0.013) inactive than males (83.8%). The most influential barrier perceived by participants is (heavy) academic work as well as lack of places for physical activity; the latter factor being more effective in hindering female students' physical activity.CONCLUSION: Results revealed that the inactivity rate was very high among medical students. The results of this study call for a well-planned intervention at the university level for improving the level of physical activity among university students.


2021 ◽  
Vol 73 (12) ◽  
pp. 832-840
Author(s):  
Katti Sathaporn ◽  
Jarurin Pitanupong

Objective: To determine the level of and factors associated with empathy among medical students.Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study surveyed all first- to sixth-year medical students at the Facultyof Medicines, Prince of Songkla University, at the end of the 2020 academic year. The questionnaires consisted of:1) The personal and demographic information questionnaire, 2) The Toronto Empathy Questionnaire, and 3) ThaiMental Health Indicator-15. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and factors associated with empathylevel were assessed via chi-square and logistic regression analyses.Results: There were 1010 participants with response rate of 94%. Most of them were female (59%). More than half(54.9%) reported a high level of empathy. There was a statistically significant difference in empathy levels betweenpre-clinical and clinical medical students; in regards to empathy subgroups (P-value < 0.001). The assessment ofemotional states in others by demonstrating appropriate sensitivity behavior, altruism, and empathic respondingscores among the pre-clinical group were higher than those of the clinical group. Multivariate analysis indicatedthat female gender, pre-clinical training level, and minor specialty preference were factors associated with empathylevel. The protective factor that significantly improved the level of empathy was having fair to good mental health.Conclusion: More than half of the surveyed medical students reported a high level of empathy. The protective factorthat improved the level of empathy was good mental health. However, future qualitative methods, longitudinalsurveillance, or long-term follow-up designs are required to ensure the trustworthiness of these findings.


BJPsych Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (S1) ◽  
pp. S303-S304
Author(s):  
Syed Muhammad Jawad Zaidi ◽  
Muhammad Hamza ◽  
Raja Adnan Ahmed ◽  
Mishal Fatima ◽  
Hassan Nadeem ◽  
...  

AimsThe increasing burden of mental disorders coupled with the social stigmatization in Pakistan is an immense barrier in combating the emerging mental health crisis. The low number of qualified psychiatrists and poor intake in post-graduate psychiatry training programs in the region further complicates the problem. Thus, our study aims to assess the attitudes of Pakistani medical students towards psychiatry. Furthermore, we also aim to evaluate how experience and different levels of exposure to psychiatry among students affect their attitudes towards psychiatry as a career choice.MethodThis cross-sectional study was conducted via an online survey made on Google Forms. A total of 831 medical students studying across various private and public medical institutions of Pakistan responded to the survey. The questionnaire comprised of demographical details (gender, age, institution, and academic year) exposure to psychiatry, duration of psychiatry rotation, and personal experience with mental illness. The attitudes of medical students towards psychiatry were evaluated using the English version of the 30-item Attitudes Towards Psychiatry (ATP-30) scale. Chi-square test and multiple regression with backward method were used to analyze the data.ResultThe Cronbach's alpha value of the ATP-30 scale was 0.830. The participants in our study had a mean score of 107.6 ± 12 on ATP-30. Overall, most participants had a positive attitude towards psychiatry. Multiple regression analysis revealed a significant model pertaining to predictors of attitude toward psychiatry (F (df) = 11.28 (830), P < 0.001). However, the predictors included in the model accounted for only 5.8% of the variation in ATP-30 scores. According to it, those students had a more positive attitude toward psychiatry who identified as female, older and having any sort of exposure toward psychiatric specialty, direct involvement in psychiatric patient care, and reporting personal experience of mental illnesses.ConclusionOur study showed that medical students had a positive attitude towards psychiatry but female medical students, students with previous exposure to psychiatry, and students with longer psychiatry rotations tend to view psychiatry more positively. The generally positive trend towards psychiatry in Pakistan indicates the need to sustain improvements through proactive measures. We recommend longer placements for medical students in mental health settings for at least 4 weeks or longer. Medical schools should also promote research, discussions, and seminars on different psychiatric illnesses in order to enhance awareness among the students.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salih Boushra Hamza ◽  
Yassin A. Abdalla ◽  
Tibyan Hassan Mustafa Alkabashi ◽  
Ahmed A. M. Mustafa ◽  
Khadija Ala Abdelmaqsud Muhmmed ◽  
...  

Abstract Background:In general, the emergence of new technologies such as the internet, social networks and providing opportunities to facilitate and improve global communications quality have created some threats, as Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD), which is an emerging psychological problem across the globe. Young defined it as “an individual’s inability to control his or her use of the internet, which eventually causes psychological, social, school, and/or work difficulties in a person’s life”. Students are among the most critical internet and social networks, particularly during the coronavirus recent pandemic. The prevalence of internet addiction and its association with academic performance among Sudanese medical students has not been discussed yet. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the effects of internet addiction on medical students’ academic performance. Methods:This study was an observational descriptive cross-sectional study conducted on medical students at Omdurman Islamic University in Sudan from 321 sample size by stratified random technique. Data were collected using a questionnaire that contains four sections; the last one is the Internet Addiction Test (IAT), a 20-item scale that measures the presence and severity of internet addiction, developed by Young. Data were analyzed using the statistical package for social science (SPSS) version 24. A P-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results:Out of 321 medical students, 186 (57.9%) were females, and 135 (42.1%) were males, with no general differences regarding the addiction score. Social media was the leading platform for internet use purposes (88%), mean internet addiction score was 47.7; most of the respondents (55.8%) fit into the moderate-level addiction. There is an association between the duration of internet time consumption and the IAT score, with 5-6 hour/day scoring the highest (mean 50.1 ± 14.3) (P-value 0.001). There is a significant association between platforms that consume most of the participant time and IAT score, with games scoring the highest (IAT mean 56.4 ± 15) (P-value 0.001). There is an insignificant negative correlation between Internet Addiction Test (IAT) grade and CGPA (p-value 0.07).Conclusion:The mean internet addiction score is 47.7, and most of the respondents (55.8%) show moderate-level addiction. The Internet Addiction Test’s application to medical students’ sample concerning the academic performance found no significant association between Internet Addiction Test score and CGPA score.


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