Hendawy Mohamed, Abouzid Mohamed, Gamal Aliaa, Elnagar Marwa, Moawad Mostafa Hossam El Din
Faculty of Pharmacy, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
Department of Physical Pharmacy and Pharmacokinetics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Rokietnicka 3 St, Poznan, 60-806, Poland.
BMC Psychol. 2025 Sep 17;13(1):1011. doi: 10.1186/s40359-025-03370-z.
Depression is a prevalent mental health concern among university students, particularly those in healthcare fields like pharmacy. The introduction of the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program in Egypt has brought new academic and professional pressures, making it critical to evaluate its impact on students' mental well-being.
A cross-sectional study was conducted among 576 PharmD students in Egypt using an online survey. The survey collected demographic information and assessed depression levels using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Statistical analyses, including Mann-Whitney U tests and logistic regression, were used to identify predictors of depression.
The study found that 40.5% of participants exhibited borderline to moderate depression, while 24.7% displayed significant depressive symptoms. Key predictors of higher depression scores included socioeconomic status and type of university. Students attending public universities had significantly higher depression scores compared to those in private institutions (p = 0.033). Financial strain was strongly associated with higher depression levels, with students experiencing insufficient funds throughout the year showing the highest depression scores. Other demographic factors, such as sex, residence, and family involvement in healthcare, were not significantly associated with depression levels.
Depression is highly prevalent among PharmD students in Egypt, particularly those facing financial challenges or attending public universities. These findings underscore the urgent need for targeted mental health interventions and financial support programs to alleviate the psychological burden on pharmacy students.
抑郁症是大学生中普遍存在的心理健康问题，尤其是在药学等医疗保健领域的学生。埃及药学博士（PharmD）项目的引入带来了新的学术和职业压力，因此评估其对学生心理健康的影响至关重要。
在埃及对576名药学博士学生进行了一项横断面研究，采用在线调查。该调查收集了人口统计学信息，并使用贝克抑郁量表（BDI）评估抑郁水平。采用包括曼-惠特尼U检验和逻辑回归在内的统计分析方法来确定抑郁症的预测因素。
研究发现，40.5%的参与者表现出临界至中度抑郁，而24.7%表现出明显的抑郁症状。抑郁得分较高的关键预测因素包括社会经济地位和大学类型。与私立大学的学生相比，公立大学的学生抑郁得分显著更高（p = 0.033）。经济压力与较高的抑郁水平密切相关，全年资金不足的学生抑郁得分最高。其他人口统计学因素，如性别、居住情况和家庭在医疗保健方面的参与度，与抑郁水平无显著关联。
抑郁症在埃及药学博士学生中非常普遍，尤其是那些面临经济挑战或就读于公立大学的学生。这些发现强调了迫切需要有针对性的心理健康干预措施和经济支持计划，以减轻药学专业学生的心理负担。
