Stress, Anxiety, Depression Among Medical Undergraduate Students at Benha University and Their Socio-Demographic Correlates

Abstract

Background: Medical students display poorer mental health when compared to equivalent peers. Learning environment, educational debt, hard workload, and sleep disturbance make them more liable for mental disorders as anxiety and depression. Objective: The aim of the current work was to determine prevalence and factors associated with depression, anxiety and stress among medical students. Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire was distributed to students in the six grades at Benha Faculty of Medicine. Students were chosen by stratified random sample technique. The total participants were 597. Results: Out of included students; 88.8%, 82.6% & 82.7% experienced depression, anxiety, and stress respectively. A statistically significant difference between smokers and non-smokers (14.3±4.9&11.5±5.6 respectively) was found regarding depression score. The mean anxiety and stress scores were significantly higher between females (9.78±5.4 & 13.03±4.9 respectively) than males. The third grade had the highest mean of anxiety and stress score (10.1±4.8, p value =0.03 &14.02±3.9, p value =0.000 respectively). There was a statistically significant difference in depression and anxiety scores as regarding Personal income. There were statistically significant associations between student average achievement score, social activity, transportation and mean score of depression, anxiety, stress. Conclusion: It could be concluded that medical students experienced high degrees of depression, anxiety, and stress. Smoking, female gender, personal income, achievement score were significantly associated with mental problems.

Anxiety and Depression Screening in Egyptian University Students: Prevalence and Predictors

“…The current study also showed a significant gender difference where the odds of anxiety symptoms were higher among females compared to males (Alexandria University: AOR=1.37, Alamein University: AOR= 2.47) this is consistent with the results of two previous studies in Egypt, (16,17) although their population of study were medical students. Other studies showed no significant gender differences for anxiety as in Australia.…”

“…The overall prevalence of depression symptoms was 91.1%, with a nearly equal distribution among the two universities (91.2%, and 90.7% in Alexandria University, and Alamein University, respectively), whereas the overall prevalence of anxiety symptoms among the total population was 77.0%, with a slightly higher distribution in Alamein University (79.4.%) compared to Alexandria University (76.5%). Our results are in line with but higher than the results of other studies conducted in Egypt showing prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms respectively to be 82.6% and 88.8% in 2020 in Benha (16) , and 78.4% and 63.3% in 2014 in Menoufiya (17) among medical students. Similarly other studies showed 88.4% and 75.0% in Pakistan (6) .…”

“…(6) These results were different from the results of studies conducted in Benha, Egypt where severe levels of depression symptoms were the most prevalent at rate of 55.8%, followed by moderate level (23.6%) then mild level (9.4%). (16) Regarding severity of anxiety symptoms, the current study showed that the overall prevalence of all levels of severity were nearly similar, with a slightly higher overall prevalence of mild anxiety symptoms of 28.6% (Alexandria University: 28.7%, Alamein University: 28.0%). Moderate and severe levels of anxiety symptoms constituted nearly half the sample (48.4%), where moderate and severe levels of anxiety symptoms represented 22.8% and 25.6% of the students (Alexandria University: 22.4% and 25.4%, Alamein University: 24.6% and 27.0% for moderate and severe levels of anxiety symptoms respectively).…”

“…This is different from the results of the study conducted in Pakistan and Benha, Egypt, where mild anxiety represented the least prevalence (4.4%, 12.1% respectively) , while severe anxiety levels constituted the highest prevalence (64.6%, 57.1%, respectively), and moderate anxiety represented 19.4% and 13.4%, respectively. (6,16) Variation in depression and anxiety symptoms rates might be in part due to the difference in the data collection tools used in different studies. For both depression and anxiety, the rates of the current study are more consistent with the rates reported for medical students in various studies as mentioned above.…”

Correlation of Learning Difficulties with Anxiety: A Concurrent Embedded Mixed Methods Study

“…Anxiety in this study is viewed from the dimensions of physical, behavioral, and cognitive. Many previous studies reported that students experienced anxiety during their college years [11,12,14,22,23]. Our data suggested that most students experienced very severe anxiety (panic) during the webinar tutorial.…”