Department of Community Medicine, School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Dodoma, Dodoma, Tanzania.
Tanrep Research Consultancy Limited, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Sci Rep. 2024 Feb 11;14(1):3451. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-53885-5.
The COVID-19 pandemic brought about a major public health concern worldwide. It forced many countries to enforce lockdowns, leading to the closure of higher learning institutions. The abrupt shift in the lifestyle of students had a profound impact on their mental health. This study aims to determine the prevalence and factors associated with mental health conditions among university students in Tanzania during the COVID-19 pandemic. A sample of 425 students from six medical universities and colleges in Tanzania completed an online survey and was included in the analysis. The questionnaire consisted of validated Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 Items (DASS-21) questions (Cronbach's alpha = 0.92) assessing the presence of mental health symptoms: depression, anxiety, and stress. Multivariable logistic regression models were fitted to explain the factors associated with mental health conditions. A P-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant in all inferential analyses. The median age (interquartile range) of the participants was 24 (22-26). The prevalence of mental health conditions was 28.94%, 54.12%, and 15.06% for depression, anxiety, and stress, respectively, while the prevalence of having any mental health condition was 58.59%. In an adjusted regression model, being in the fourth and fifth years of study and living with a spouse were significantly associated with increased odds of depression: AOR = 5.99 (1.31-27.47), AOR = 5.52 (1.18-25.81), and AOR = 1.84 (1.08-3.15), respectively. Moreover, studying in private universities and living with a spouse were significantly associated with an increased likelihood of anxiety: AOR = 2.35 (1.72-2.76), and AOR = 2.32 (1.20-4.50), respectively. The likelihood of stress was only among participants studying in private universities; AOR = 2.90 (1.60-5.27). The study revealed alarmingly high rates of mental health conditions among medical students in Tanzania during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings suggest the need for regular checkups for medical students regarding their mental health status. Additionally, it recommends that the government and other stakeholders establish mental health services within the universities for the effective prevention of the rising burden of mental health problems among universities in Tanzania and other countries with similar settings.
新型冠状病毒肺炎疫情给全球带来了重大公共卫生问题。它迫使许多国家实施封锁，导致高等学府关闭。学生生活方式的突然转变对他们的心理健康产生了深远的影响。本研究旨在确定坦桑尼亚在 COVID-19 大流行期间大学生心理健康状况的流行率和相关因素。来自坦桑尼亚六所医科大学和学院的 425 名学生完成了在线调查，并纳入了分析。问卷包括经过验证的抑郁、焦虑和压力量表 21 项（DASS-21）问题（Cronbach's alpha=0.92），评估心理健康症状的存在：抑郁、焦虑和压力。使用多变量逻辑回归模型来解释与心理健康状况相关的因素。所有推论分析中 P 值 < 0.05 被认为具有统计学意义。参与者的中位数年龄（四分位间距）为 24（22-26）岁。抑郁、焦虑和压力的心理健康状况发生率分别为 28.94%、54.12%和 15.06%，而任何心理健康状况的发生率为 58.59%。在调整后的回归模型中，处于第四和第五学年以及与配偶同住与抑郁的几率增加显著相关：OR=5.99（1.31-27.47）、OR=5.52（1.18-25.81）和 OR=1.84（1.08-3.15）。此外，在私立大学学习和与配偶同住与焦虑的可能性增加显著相关：OR=2.35（1.72-2.76）和 OR=2.32（1.20-4.50）。压力的可能性仅存在于在私立大学学习的参与者中；OR=2.90（1.60-5.27）。研究显示，坦桑尼亚医学生在 COVID-19 大流行期间心理健康状况的发生率高得惊人。研究结果表明，需要定期检查医学生的心理健康状况。此外，建议政府和其他利益攸关方在大学内建立心理健康服务，以有效预防坦桑尼亚和其他类似环境国家大学中心理健康问题负担的增加。
