OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of and factors associated with depression in residents in training at the Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University. METHODS This cross-sectional study was conducted with Faculty of Medicine residents in training from March to July 2020. We used the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) to determine the level of depression. Binary logistic regression was used to evaluate associated factors: loneliness, burnout, sleep quality, emotional quotients (EQ), and perceived social support (PSS). RESULTS About one-fifth of the residents in training exhibited depression (47 of 201), and 6.97% had indications of suicidality. Factors showing a positive correlation with depression included loneliness (aOR: 1.27; 95% CI: 1.15-1.40); burnout scales of depersonalization (aOR: 1.18; 95% CI: 1.10-1.25), and reduced personal accomplishment (aOR: 1.10; 95% CI: 1.05-1.14). Factors showed a negative correlation with depression: perceived social support from significant others (aOR: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.85-0.98). Three subscales of EQ included motivation (aOR: 0.82; 95% CI: 0.68-0.99); life satisfaction (aOR: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.70-0.97); level of peace (aOR: 0.76; 95% CI: 0.66-0.87). CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of depression in residents was 23.40%. Loneliness, low social support, and burnout (depersonalization, reduced personal accomplishment) were all associated with depression. Three EQ factors (motivation, life satisfaction, and peace) appeared to have potential for reducing depression. KEYWORDS depression, resident training, loneliness, emotional intelligence, burnout

Attitude to psychiatry influences motivation for medical students to successfully achieve in studying psychiatry. With a new generation of students, it would be interesting to investigate how attitudes have changed. This study aimed to compare the attitude of fifth-year medical students toward psychiatry in recent and in the past 24 years. Two samples of fifth-year medical students at Chiang Mai University completed the 30-item attitude to psychiatry (ATP-30); 118 students completed it in 1996, whereas 242 medical students completed it in 2019. Rasch analysis was employed for examining the differences between the total score and individual item scores between the two groups. The total score of ATP in the 2019 group was significantly higher than that in the 1996 group. After misfitting individuals and biased items were removed, only 15 items were valid and useful for a comparison. Of 15 items, 11 were found highly significantly different between two groups (p < 0.001). Negatively worded items, e.g., no strong evidence indicating effectiveness, became easier to score items (increased positive attitude) whereas some positively worded items, e.g., I would like to be a psychiatrist. Nine items, became more difficult (less positive attitude) comparing between 1996 and 2019. In a comparison between the two methods using the traditional t-test and Rasch analysis, only 5 of 30 items (16.7%) agreed with each other. The overall attitude to psychiatry was significantly higher at the present compared with that in the past. Most items did not differ between the two times. Further studies regarding improving the attitude scale using item response theory such as Rasch should be encouraged.