Academic and sociodemographic predictors of anxiety and psychological well-being in Mexican medical students. A cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION

Medical students report higher levels of anxiety than students from other majors. Knowledge about their psychological well-being is scarce.

OBJECTIVE

To identify sociodemographic and academic factors that predict the level of anxiety and psychological well-being in Mexican medical students.

METHOD

Cross-sectional study of Mexican medical students of first (n = 59), third (n = 43) and fifth semester (n = 59), who answered a sociodemographic questionnaire, Beck Anxiety Inventory, the Psychological Well-being Scale for adults and the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale.

RESULTS

Females showed higher levels of anxiety (p < 0.01). Anxiety in males was similar in the different semesters (p > 0.05); women of third and fifth semesters were more anxious than those at first semester (p < 0.01). Anxiety and psychological well-being were negatively correlated (p < 0.001). The "Less anxiety, higher level of well-being" and "More anxiety, lower level of well-being" subgroups were characterized, and a logistic regression identified that being a woman (OR = 4.70) and not practicing any religion (OR = 2.49) are predictive factors of higher levels of anxiety.

CONCLUSIONS

Female medical students constitute a population at risk for higher levels of anxiety and less psychological well-being, which compromises their learning, quality of life and future professional practice.