Kumar S Ganesh, Kattimani Shivanand, Sarkar Sonali, Kar Sitanshu Sekhar
Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry, India.
Department of Psychiatry, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry, India.
Ind Psychiatry J. 2017 Jan-Jun;26(1):86-90. doi: 10.4103/ipj.ipj_45_15.
Currently, depression among medical students is an important health issue at the global level. There is also a paucity of information on its relation to the stress level.
The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence of depression and its relation to stress level and other factors among medical students.
A cross-sectional study was conducted among medical students at a tertiary care medical institution in Puducherry, coastal south India. Beck Depression Inventory Scale was used for screening of depression and Cohen's Perceived Stress scale to assess perceived stress level. Data on associated factors were collected by self-administered questionnaire.
The overall prevalence of depression was found to be 48.4% (215/444). According to the cutoff scores, 229 (51.6%) students scored as normal (0-9), 149 (33.6%) as mild (10-18), 60 (13.5%) as moderate (19-29), 3 (0.7%) as severe (30-40), and 3 (0.7%) students scored as very severe (>40) depression. Depression was significantly less among those with mild stress (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 0.010) and moderate stress level (adjusted OR = 0.099) compared to severe stress level and those without interpersonal problems (adjusted OR = 0.448).
Depression is more common among medical students. Stress coping mechanisms and improvement of interpersonal relationship may help to reduce depressive symptoms among medical students.
目前，医学生的抑郁症是全球层面的一个重要健康问题。关于其与压力水平关系的信息也很匮乏。
本研究旨在评估医学生中抑郁症的患病率及其与压力水平和其他因素的关系。
在印度南部沿海地区本地治里的一家三级医疗保健机构对医学生进行了一项横断面研究。使用贝克抑郁量表筛查抑郁症，并用科恩感知压力量表评估感知压力水平。通过自填问卷收集相关因素的数据。
发现抑郁症的总体患病率为48.4%（215/444）。根据临界分数，229名（51.6%）学生得分正常（0 - 9），149名（33.6%）为轻度（10 - 18），60名（13.5%）为中度（19 - 29），3名（0.7%）为重度（30 - 40），3名（0.7%）学生得分极重度（>40）抑郁症。与重度压力水平者和无人际关系问题者相比，轻度压力者（调整优势比[OR]=0.010）和中度压力水平者（调整OR = 0.099）的抑郁症明显较少（调整OR = 0.448）。
抑郁症在医学生中更为常见。压力应对机制和人际关系的改善可能有助于减轻医学生的抑郁症状。
