scholarly journals The Prevalence of Depression among Undergraduates of a Selected Medical Faculty in Sri Lanka

Author(s):  
A.S.K Kodagoda ◽  
M.K.D.L Meegoda

Introduction: Depression is a common mental disorder which can lead to major problems such as suicidal attempts. It is well known that the demands and pressure on undergraduates in medical faculties create tremendous challenges which result in an extensive range of psychological ailments like depression. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of different levels of depression among undergraduates in a selected medical sciences faculty in Sri Lanka. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using a convenient sampling technique among students in a selected medical faculty. The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) was used to assess depressive symptoms of the respondents. Descriptive analysis was done using SPSS version 23. Results: Mean age of the sample (n=397) was 24.1±2.5 years. The mean score obtained for depression was 10.5±8.3. Only 38.5% of the respondents had normal level of depressive symptoms while 7.1% and 4.0% of the respondents presented severe and extremely severe symptoms, respectively. Age (p=0.011) and academic year (p=0.001) showed a significant association with depression. Conclusions: The study demonstrates a considerable prevalence in different levels of depressive symptoms among undergraduates who are enrolled in medical and allied health sciences programmes. Therefore, it would be highly beneficial to reduce depressive symptoms by early identification. Studies to identify causes and interventional studies will contribute to implement measures to improve identification, and reduce the prevalence of depression among undergraduates.Keywords: Depression, Undergraduates, Mental disorder

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wasihun Adraro ◽  
Habtamu Kerebih ◽  
Workinesh Tesema ◽  
Fira Abamecha ◽  
Hailemariam Hailesilassie

Abstract Background Millions of people are currently suffering from some form of mental disorders. The prevalence of common disorders is twofold higher in prison than general population and the condition is found to be worst in African in general and Ethiopia in particular. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of common mental disorders and its correlates among prisoners in Jimma town correctional institution; Ethiopia. Methods A cross sectional quantitative study was conducted enrolling 300 prisoners. The participants were recruited using systematic random sampling technique. The World health organization Self Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20) scale; was adapted to assess prevalence of mental disorders. Data were collected on interviewer administered basis by trained personnel. Statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 20 for widows was used for data analysis. Multivariate logistic regression modelling was conducted to identify the independent predictors of common mental disorders. P-value less than 5% was considered to indicate significant associations. Results The prevalence of common mental disorder was found to be 62.70, 95% CI; [57.30, 68.50]. Prisoners who had monthly income of 1500-3000birr, AOR = 3.30, 95% CI; [1.25, 8.69] and above 3000birr; AOR = 4.75, 95% CI; [1.57, 14.33], family history of mental illness; AOR = 6.14, 95% CI; [1.65, 22.79] and who ever used Khat; AOR = 4.33, 95% CI; [2.02, 9.27] were more likely to experience common mental disorders. Conversely; having some sort of work in prison; AOR = 0.25, 95% CI; [0.12, 0.54], perceived moderate social support; AOR = 0.094, 95% CI; [0.04–0.215] and perceived moderate strong; AOR = 0.025, 95% CI; [0.009, 0.07] were found to be protective factors. Conclusion Prevalence of common mental disorder was considerably high as nearly more than three in every five prisoner experience some form of the disorder. Early screening of prisoners up on their arrival, appropriate treatment and follow up should be done. Furthermore; creating prison based jobs that could bring prisoners together and encouraging positive relationships to build social supports as coping strategy is required.


Author(s):  
Ashok Kumar ◽  
Geeta Yadav ◽  
Nitesh Chauhan ◽  
Suman Bodat

Background: Adolescence is a stressful period due to physical, psychological, sexual changes and the presence of psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety and stress at this stage of life is a matter of concern. Depression is a common mental disorder, characterized by persistent sadness and a loss of interest in activities that you normally enjoy, accompanied by an inability to carry out daily activities, for at least two weeks. The objective of this study is to find the prevalence and associated factors of depression, anxiety and stress among school going adolescents.Methods: This was a school based descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in the month of July 2018 in an urban school in New Delhi. A semi-structured, self-administered questionnaire to assess socio-demographic profile as well as depression anxiety stress scale (DASS)–21 was used to assess depression, stress and anxiety.Results: Overall prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress were found to be 47.9%, 65.3%, and 51.8% respectively. Most of student suffered from moderate depression (46.8%), anxiety (33.3%) and mild stress (60.9%). It was noted that these were more common among female students, late adolescent age group, students alone/ away from family, students from separated/ single parents, consuming alcohol and family pressure to perform well in school.Conclusions: The alarming risk of depression, anxiety and stress among students with low academic satisfaction as well as those who face family pressure to perform better calls for need of parents-student counselling sessions, as well as frequent extracurricular activities to help create a healthier school environment.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 12
Author(s):  
Uzoechi Eze Chikezie ◽  
Tamaraemumoemi Emmanuella Okoro

INTRODUCTION: Medical students may be vulnerable to depression and other psychiatric morbidity. This study sought to assess the prevalence of depression and associated factors among medical students in Niger Delta University, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. METHODS: Using a self-administered, author-developed questionnaire with adaptations from the Patient-rated version of Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI-PR) and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS), data including socio-demographic characteristics, alcohol use/abuse, cigarette smoking, features of depression and anxiety were collected from 243 medical students in this descriptive cross-sectional study over a period of 4months. RESULTS: Of the 243 participants, 52.7% were male, mostly aged 18 to 24 years (67.1%). The incidence of depression, suicidal ideation, alcohol use, and psychoactive substance use as defined by the MINI questionnaire was 30.5%, 14.8%, 14.8%, and 9.9%, respectively. As defined by DASS 21, almost a third suffered different levels of anxiety (29.6%), and less than one-fifth reported different levels of stress (17.7%). Female gender and year of study showed a significant association with the diagnosis of depression (X2=15.75;p–0.008). Living arrangement (X2=11.43;p–0.022), perception of accommodation condition (X2=16.35;p–0.001), academic performance (X2=18.02;p–0.001), and experience of academic failure (X2=5.13;p–0.023) all had a significant relationship with depression among the study population. CONCLUSION: Prevalence of depression among medical students is high; its diagnosis showed a significant association with female gender, year of study, and perception of social and academic factors. Several comorbid psychiatric conditions may coexist with depression among medical students; therefore, the approach to their mental health should be holistic with attention paid to associated factors and psychiatric comorbidities.


2020 ◽  
Vol 54 ◽  
pp. 49
Author(s):  
Paula Lobo Marco ◽  
Inaê Dutra Valério ◽  
Christian Loret de Mola Zanatti ◽  
Helen Gonçalves

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the existing literature on the association between parents’ depression and anxiety and their influence on their children’s weight during childhood, identifying possible mechanisms involved in this association. METHODS: A systematic search of the literature was conducted in the PubMed, PsycINFO and SciELO databases, using the following descriptors: (maternal OR mother* OR parent* OR paternal OR father) AND (“common mental disorder” OR “mental health” OR “mental disorder” OR “depressive disorder” OR depress* OR anxiety OR “anxiety disorder”) AND (child* OR pediatric OR offspring) AND (overweight OR obes* OR “body mass index” OR BMI). A total of 1,187 articles were found after peer selection. RESULTS: In total, 16 articles that met the inclusion criteria were selected for the review. Most of them investigated depressive symptoms and only three, symptoms of maternal anxiety. The evaluated studies suggested a positive association between symptoms of maternal depression and higher risk of childhood obesity. The results diverged according to the chronicity of depressive symptoms (episodic or recurrent depression) and income of the investigated country (high or middle income). Mechanisms were identified passing by quality of parenthood, affecting behaviors related to physical activity and child-feeding, as mediators of the association. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude there is evidence of a positive relationship between the occurrence of maternal symptoms of depression and anxiety and childhood obesity. It is emphasized the need for a better understanding on the effect of depressive symptoms and the contextual factors involved in this relationship so that effective intervention strategies can be implemented.


2014 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 229-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriano Gonçalves Silva ◽  
Ana Teresa de Abreu Ramos Cerqueira ◽  
Maria Cristina Pereira Lima

INTRODUCTION: Different kinds of psychological distress have been identified for students in the health field, especially in the medical school. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of mental suffering among medical students in the Southeastern Brazil and asses its association with social support. METHODS: It is a cross-sectional study. Structured questionnaires were applied for students from the 1st up to the 6th years of the medical school of Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho", assessing demographic variables related to aspects of graduation and adaptation to the city. Psychological suffering was defined as a common mental disorder (CMD) assessed by the Self Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20). Social support was assessed by the social support scale of the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS). The association between the outcome and explanatory variables was assessed by the χ2 test and Logistic Regression, for the multivariate analyses, using p < 0.05. RESULTS: The response rate was of 80.7%, with no differences between sample and the population regarding gender (p = 0.78). The average age was 22 years old (standard deviation - SD = 2.2), mainly women (58.2%) and students who were living with friends (62%). The prevalence of CMD was 44.9% (95%CI 40.2 - 49.6). After the multivariate analyses, the explanatory variables that were associated with CMD were: feeling rejected in the past year (p < 0.001), thinking about leaving medical school (p < 0.001) and "interaction" in the MOS scale (p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of CMD among medical students was high and insufficient social support was an important risk factor. Our findings suggest that interventions to improve social interaction among those students could be beneficial, decreasing the prevalence of CMD in this group.


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.


2010 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edméa Fontes de Oliva Costa ◽  
Tarcísio Matos de Andrade ◽  
Annibal Muniz Silvany Neto ◽  
Enaldo Vieira de Melo ◽  
Ana Carolina Aquino Rosa ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVE: Estimate the prevalence of common mental disorder and its associated factors among medical students of the Universidade Federal de Sergipe. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was carried out, applying Self Reporting Questionnaire-20 to 473 students from the 512 medical students enrolled in 2006 and compared with compared with a structured questionnaire by the authors containing information on the socio-demographic characteristics, the teaching-learning process and the psycho-emotional experiences of the students. Freshmen were excluded after initial comparison with the students already exposed to the medical course. Statistical analysis by multiple logistic regression after calculating simple and adjusted odds ratio (OR). RESULTS:The general prevalence of common mental disorder was 40% (n = 473); after exclusion of the freshmen it increased to 42.5% among students from the 2nd to the 12th semester. It was higher among those who did not have faith in their acquisition of the skills needed to become a good doctor (OR = 2.82), who felt less comfortable about course activities (OR = 3.75), who considered themselves emotionally stressed (OR = 2.14), among those who did not consider themselves happy (OR = 2.85), who believed that the course did not match their expectations (OR = 1.64) and those who had a prior diagnosis of mental disorder by a psychiatrist (OR = 3.78). CONCLUSION: The results suggest the necessity of changes to the teaching-learning process and the establishment of a preventive mental health program for medical students.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Seyfe Asrade Atnafie ◽  
Niguse Yigzaw Muluneh ◽  
Kefyalew Ayalew Getahun ◽  
Asegedech Tsegaw Woredekal ◽  
Wubayehu Kahaliw

Individuals with substance use disorder are prone to develop different psychiatric disorders. Substance abuse and associated problems are of current global concern that leads to mental health disorders which contributed about 14% of the global burden of the disease. It has become an epidemic in some parts of the African region with adolescents being the main victims of the ill health and social effects of substance use. This study is aimed at assessing the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress and associated factors among khat chewers in the Amhara region, 2019. A community-based cross-sectional study was done from February 14 to April 15, 2019. A purposive sampling technique was used to enroll the subjects. Data was collected using the face-to-face interview technique using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale 21 (DASS-21) questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and bivariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to summarize the results. p value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. A total of 478 participants were enrolled in the study with a response rate of 94.1%. The overall prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress was 27.4%, 40.6%, and 18.8%, respectively. Around 43% of the respondents develop dependency from khat chewing. Working in a private sector, being self-employed, being jobless, spending 90 to 180 minutes and more, chewing 51-100 g and more, and chewing khat more than once per week were positively associated with stress. On the other hand, being a private sector worker, being jobless, completing secondary education, earning 1001-5000 ETB per month, chewing khat more than once per week, being khat dependent, and the presence of chronic illness were positively associated with anxiety. History of chronic illness and being khat dependent were positively associated with depression. The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress was high among khat chewers in the Amhara region. Special attention has to be given to khat chewers since khat chewing will double the burden of mental illness. Proper awareness and evaluation activities will reduce the impact of the problem.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Asim Othayq ◽  
Abdulwahab Aqeeli

Purpose This study aims to evaluate the prevalence of depression and associated risk factors among patients on hemodialysis in Jazan area, Saudi Arabia. Design/methodology/approach The study was conducted on 211 randomly selected hemodialysis patients in Jazan area, Saudi Arabia, using an observational cross-sectional design. Patients were screened for depressive symptoms using the depression, anxiety and stress scale 42 (DASS-42). Descriptive statistics were used to present sociodemographic data. Multiple logistic regression was implemented to identify the predictors of depression. Data were entered and analyzed using SPSS 22.0 software. Findings The study found the overall prevalence of depression among patients on hemodialysis to be 43.6 per cent. Of them, 12.8 per cent were mildly depressed, 15.6 per cent were moderately depressed and 15.1 per cent fell in the severe or extremely severe category. Depression was significantly associated with marital status, education level and the presence of sleep disturbances. The study indicates a high prevalence of depressive symptoms among patients on hemodialysis in Jazan. A higher rate of depressive symptoms was observed in currently unmarried, lower-educated patients and those with sleep disturbance. Originality/value Periodic evaluation of patients on hemodialysis for depression is needed to allow for early intervention.


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