Mental problems and risk factors for depression among medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Prevalence of depression is high among medical students and several mental problems are identified as risk factors. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic causes difficulties that could adversely affect mental health. However, data concerning prevalence of mental problems, and whether or not these problems remain risk factors for depression during the COVID-19 pandemic in medical students are scarce. To investigate the prevalence of depression, social media addiction, game addiction, sleep quality, eating disorder risk, and perceived stress among Thai medical students, risk factors for depression were investigated. Online surveys via our faculty's learning portals were advertized to medical students who engaged online learning and 224 respondents provided complete data. Study-related medical students' data were collected using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 for depression, the Social-Media Addiction Screening Scale for social media addiction, the Game Addiction Screening Test for game addiction, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index for sleep quality, the Eating Attitudes Test for eating disorder risk, and the Perceived Stress Scale for perceived stress. Depression was reported in 35.7% of medical students, social-media addiction in 22.3%, game addiction in 4.5%, eating disorder risk in 4.9%, poor sleep quality in 80.8%, and moderate-to-high perceived stress in 71.4%. The independent predictors of depression were lower grade point average, social media addiction, and moderate-to-high perceived stress. A high prevalence of depression, stress, and poor sleep was found among medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Medical students who are stressed, have lower grades, and/or who are addicted to social media warrant depression screening. Abbreviations: BMI = body mass index, COVID-19 = coronavirus disease 2019, GAST = game addiction screening test, GPA = grade point average, MS = medical students, PHQ-9 = patient health questionnaire-9, PSQI = Pittsburgh sleep quality index, PSS-10 = perceived stress scale, S-MASS = social-media addiction screening scale.

Quantitative and qualitative analysis of medical students’ symptoms and feelings during a catastrophic event

“…PATTANASERI et al (2022) revealed that 35.7% of 224 medical students surveyed during the pandemic (2020) reported experiencing depression [37], which aligns with our findings. In another study conducted with 415 basic and clinical medical students (2020), AL-HUSBAN et al (2021) indicated that mental health was affected in more than two-thirds of students, and the majority became more anxious or depressed [38].…”

Quantitative and qualitative analysis of medical students’ symptoms and feelings during COVID-19 pandemic

“…PATTANASERI et al (2022) revealed that 35.7% of 224 preclinical and clinical medical students surveyed during the pandemic (2020) reported experiencing depression, which aligns with our ndings [42]. Similar to our study, VARMA et al ( 2021) did not nd a relationship between depression and age in a study conducted in China during the pandemic with 687 health care professionals (including doctors) [43].…”

“…Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory [20] is a self-administered questionnaire composed of two scales with 20 items of up to 4 points each, where one scale evaluates the state and the other evaluates the trait of anxiety; the higher the score is, the worse the level of anxiety [21,22]. Some authors classi ed the level of anxiety as low (< 33), medium (33)(34)(35)(36)(37)(38)(39)(40)(41)(42)(43)(44)(45)(46)(47)(48)(49) or high (> 49), which is the classi cation that we used in this study [23,24].…”

“…VERAS-Q-Life of Students and Residents of Health Professions. STAI-State-Trait Anxiety Inventory; low (<33), medium(33)(34)(35)(36)(37)(38)(39)(40)(41)(42)(43)(44)(45)(46)(47)(48)(49), high (≥ 49). BDI= Beck Depression Inventory; 0-13= minimal, 14-19= mild, 20-28= moderate, >28= severe.…”

Associação multivariada e múltipla da saúde mental com medidas sociais, condições de saúde e comportamentos humanos habituais de uma comunidade acadêmica durante o período pandêmico da COVID-19

“…No entanto, a má qualidade ou a privação do sono leva a altos níveis inflamatórios, devido ao aumento das citocinas pró-inflamatórias (VGONTZAS et al, 2004), tornando o organismo mais propenso a desenvolver transtornos do sono como dissonias, parassonias, distúrbios do sono associados a transtornos mentais, enfermidades neurológicas, distúrbios de sono propostos e hipersonolência diurna (MÜLLER;GUIMARÃES, 2007). A insônia e privação do sono também podem estar associadas à consequências indiretas como absenteísmo e acidentes no trânsito (MÜLLER; GUIMARÃES, 2007), bem como, à consequências diretas como humor negativo com a prevalência de irritabilidade, cansaço, taquicardia, déficits de atenção e memória, redução de funções cognitivas (SEGUNDO et al, 2017), além de desenvolvimento de transtornos mentais e aumento do estresse (BALLESIO et al, 2022;PATTANASERI et al, 2022), sintomas depressivos e ansiosos (BACARO et al, 2020;ALIMORADI et al, 2021;GARAY, 2021).…”