Background: Medical students usually suffer from many mental health issues and that is mainly due to the challenging environment of college of medicine. This study aimed to assess the severity and compare the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among medical students in different phases throughout the academic years. Also, this study aimed to explore the correlation between depression, anxiety, and stress and some factors.
Methods: A cross-sectional study among the students from the different years of Taibah Medical College was conducted. Students participated via an electronic questionnaire which included sociodemographic data and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale 21.
Results: A total of 380 students responded to the questionnaire; 56% showed depressive symptoms, 65% reported anxiety symptoms, and 46% stressed symptoms. The differences between the academic years were significant for depression F (5, 374) = 3.025, p = 0.011; anxiety F (5, 374) = 2.511, p = 0.030 and stress: F (5, 374) = 2.402, p = 0.037. There was significant association for female gender, academic year, financial problems, less supportive families, and sleeping for less than 4 hours.
Conclusion: There is high prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among medical students, with statistical differences between the study years and different demographic factors.
Key words: Depression, anxiety, stress, medical student, academic year, DASS-21
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