Depression among medical students of Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University in Makkah, Saudi Arabia
Journal Title: International Journal of Medical Science and Public Health - Year 2015, Vol 4, Issue 2
Abstract
Background: Medical students are future of health care but depression in them may lead to less productivity, reduced quality of life, learning dif fi culties, and may negatively affect patient care. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of depression among fi rst-, second-, and third-year medical students and factors associated with it in Umm Al-Qura University in Makkah, Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among fi rst-, second-, and third-year male and female students at the Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia. A systematic random sampling technique with proportional allocation was adopted to select students from both genders. Screening of medical students for depression was conducted using the Arabic version of Beck Depression Inventory questionnaire. Another questionnaire was used including all necessary variables that could be associated with depression among medical students. Results: The study included 136 medical students aged between 19 and 24 years (mean age 20.9 ± 1.1 years). Slightly more than half of them (53.7%) were women. The overall prevalence of depressive symptoms among medical students was 30.9%: mild among 18.4%, moderate among 9.6%, and severe among 2.9%. The prevalence of depressive symptoms was higher among women than men (34.2% versus 27%). However, this difference was not statistically signi fi cant. Logistic regression analysis showed that medical students of the third academic level were 70% less likely to have depression compared to those of fi rst academic level. Those who reported a history of loss of fi rst-grade relative were at almost threefold risk of developing depression opposed to those who had no such history in the last year. Those who had moderate and high performance in examination were 70% and 84%, respectively, less likely to develop depression compared to those who had low performance. Those who had a history of depression or current depression were at almost threefold risk of developing depression than those who had no such history. Conclusion: Depression is a signi fi cant hidden problem among medical students of Saudi Arabia. Almost one-third of medical students enrolled in the fi rst three academic years of Umm Al-Qura University in Makkah had symptoms suggestive of depression.
Authors and Affiliations
Bander Khalid Jarwan
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP153551
- DOI 10.5455/ijmsph.2015.0911201436
- Views 69
- Downloads 0
Assessment of nutritional status among elderly population in a rural area of West Bengal, India
Background: Geriatric population is a potentially vulnerable group for malnutrition as per 2002 census of the World Health Organization. Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of malnutrition and risk of malnutrit...
Audit of sepsis in neonatal surgeries at tertiary-care level hospital in India
Background: Postoperative sepsis, which has high morbidity and mortality, is a major problem affecting the outcome of neonatal surgeries. Adequate treatment and preventive measures for sepsis can decrease the morbidi...
Component therapy – Still in its infancy: Eight year experience at a tertiary hospital in Indore
Background: The appropriate use of blood and blood components remains a formidable challenge faced by clinicians particularly in a developing country like India. The inadequate supply of safe blood implies that me...
Psychological well-being and burden in caregivers of patients with schizophrenia
Background: There is a de fi nite paucity of Indian studies looking into the caregiver burden, psychological well-being, and the interface between them. Objectives: This work aims to study the correlation between t...
Knowledge, attitude and practice of personal hygiene and its predictors: A school-based study among adolescent girls in an urban slum
Background: Personal hygiene plays a pivotal role in maintaining proper health. Adolescent girls being the future mothers are the subjects to be considered for improvement of personal hygiene and dietary habits. Objectiv...