Prevalence and factors associated with depression and anxiety among medical students in an inland university in Brazil

Costa, Tales Gabriel da; Simon, Laura; Mocellin, Lucas Pitrez; Wottrich, Shana; Pase, Camila Simonetti

Medical schools are known to be stressful environments for students, and hence medical students have been believed to experience greater incidences of depression and anxiety than the general population or students from other spe-cialties. The present study investigates the prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms together with factors as-sociated with them among medical students in a federal public university in the south of Brazil. A descriptive study was performed using self-administered questionnaires to access socio-demographic, institutional, and health variables in association with two scales - Beck’s Depression Inventory (BDI) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) - designed to assess depressive and anxiety symptoms, respectively. The research sample consisted of 152 subjects. The depres-sive symptoms prevalence was 65.1% (BDI > 9), state-anxiety was 98.6%, and trait-anxiety was 97.4% (STAI > 33). Among women, 37.8% demonstrated moderate/severe depressive symptoms. High levels of state-anxiety symptoms and trait-anxiety symptoms were found in 44.7% of students under the age of 20. In the group with the lowest month-ly income, it was observed the highest distributions for moderate/severe depressive symptoms, high state and high trait-anxiety symptoms, corresponding to 47.4%, 57.9%, and 47.4%, respectively. Students attending the third term of medical school had the highest percentage of moderate/severe depressive symptoms (62.5%) and high state-anxiety symptoms (50%). In addition, students who had both financial aid programs presented the highest percentages of moderate/severe depressive symptoms (46.2%), highstate-anxiety symptoms (61.5%), and high trait-anxiety symptoms (46.2%). We also observed a correlationbetween depression and trait-anxiety symptoms (P = 0.037). In conclusion, it was identified as risk factors for depressive symptoms the previous depression diagnosis, previous search for health service due to psychological symptoms, being in financial aid programs, dissatisfaction with the medical school, and inadequate psychological help offered by it. For state-anxiety symptoms and trait-anxiety outcome, there is an increased risk among low-income or students who have financial help from financial aid programs and younger age students. (AU)

Objetivo:

Investigar a prevalência de sintomas de ansiedade e depressão e fatores associados a eles entre es-tudantes de medicina de uma universidade pública do sul do Brasil.

Métodos:

Foi realizado um estudo descritivo através de questionários autoaplicáveis para avaliar variáveis sociodemográficas, institucionais e de saúde, associa-das a duas escalas - Inventário de Depressão de Beck (BDI) e Inventário de Traço-Estado de Ansiedade (STAI) - para avaliar os sintomas de depressão e ansiedade, respectivamente.

Resultados:

A prevalência de sintomas depres-sivos foi de 65,1% (BDI > 9), estado de ansiedade foi de 98,6% e traço de ansiedade de 97,4% (STAI > 33). Uma correlação significativa foi encontrada entre depressão e traço de ansiedade. Diagnóstico prévio de depressão, busca prévia por serviços de saúde, insatisfação com o curso de medicina e ter auxílio de baixa renda e bolsa de iniciação científica foram identificados como fatores de risco para depressão. Estudantes com baixa renda mensal e menores de 25 anos apresentaram maior risco para estado de ansiedade. Idade, ano da faculdade de medicina e programa de ajuda financeira provaram ser um fator de risco para traço de ansiedade.

Conclusão:

Esses resultados mostram fatores significativos relacionados à saúde mental de estudantes de uma faculdade de medicina recém-fundada no interior do Brasil. (AU)