Prevalence of Anxiety and Depression Among Medical Students During the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Purpose: The Covid-19 pandemic is a public health emergency with both physical and mental health risks. Medical students have baseline elevated rates of anxiety, depression and burnout. As such, they may be especially susceptible to the psychological stresses of Covid-19. The current study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of anxiety and depression among United States medical students during the Covid-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional, survey-based study collected demographic data as well as the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) and the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) to assess anxiety and depression symptoms, respectively. The survey was administered from April 13, 2020 to April 28, 2020 amidst the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Results: A total of 1,428 students from 40 US medical schools completed the survey. From those surveyed, 30.6% and 24.3% of respondents screened positive for anxiety and depression, respectively. Median GAD-7 scores were higher among females (7.0 vs 5.0, P < .00001), pre-clinical students (7.0 vs 6.0, P < .00004), and those with a friend or relative diagnosed with Covid-19 (7.0 vs 6.0, P=.001). Median PHQ-9 scores were higher among females (6.0 vs 4.0, P < .00001) and pre-clinical students (6.0 vs 4.0, P < .00001). Conclusion: When compared to previous medical student studies, these results are 61% higher for anxiety and 70% higher for depression during the Covid-19 era. The current study suggests that there should be a heightened awareness of and sensitivity to student’s mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic with certain cohorts at greater potential risk.

Anxiety, PTSD, and stressors in medical students during the initial peak of the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Iran and the United Arab Emirates also showed greater burden amongst female students and students in clinical training years [18][19][20]. A social media study in the US suggests rates of anxiety and depression among medical students may have increased during the pandemic [21], but there has not yet been an attempt to use census sampling to estimate prevalence of anxiety or PTSD in this population.…”

Impact of the first COVID-19 lockdown on study satisfaction and burnout in medical students in Split, Croatia: a cross-sectional presurvey and postsurvey

“…Negative effects of the COVID-19 crisis on the mental health of non-medical university students have already been reported early on, 18 19 with more students experiencing higher rates of stress and perceived social isolation, 20 as well as a higher prevalence of anxiety and depression than in the pre-COVID-19 era. 21 Medical students, along with experiencing increased deterioration of their mental health in the pandemic, also expressed concerns about the pandemic disrupting their studies and not allowing them to adequately prepare for clinical practice. 22 It is without question that the COVID-19 pandemic affected both the preclinical and clinical aspects of medical education with very quick initial transitions into online and small group education formats.…”

Composite Anxiety-depression among Medical Undergraduates during COVID-19 Pandemic in a Tertiary Care Hospital: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

“…11 Also, our result was similar to a study conducted among medical students in the United States which showed 30.6% anxiety. 12 In this study by Halperin et al, anxiety and depression was seen more among first year and second year medical students (pre-clinical) compared to third year and final year. 12 But in our study composite anxiety-depression category was higher among the final year medical students.…”