PREVALENCE OF DEPRESSION;

A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY AMONG MBBS STUDENTS OF SARGODHA MEDICAL COLLEGE, SARGODHA PAKISTAN

Abstract

Objectives: This study was conducted to assess the prevalence of depression
and associated risk factors among medical students at different levels (1st to 5th year) of their
MBBS course. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Sargodha Medical College,
Sargodha. Period: April to September 2016. Material and Methods: A sample of 200 medical
students (including 147 female and 53 male) was chosen by random sampling. PHQ-9 scale
was used to evaluate depression among participants. Data was collected on a specially
designed questionnaire containing sociodemographic and educational characteristics and
was analyzed using SPSS 16.0. Results: Out of 200 respondents, who participated in study,
75.5% reached depression criteria. The age range of majority of students (53%) was 20-22 year.
Factors such as female gender, year of medical college, staying in hostel, both pre and post
exam depression, academic pressure, high competition, overburdened test schedules and
worries about future were found to be significantly associated with depression. Conclusion:
The results depict that frequency of depression among MBBS students during their academic
years is very high, making them highly susceptible individuals. This demands the necessity
for pervasive enactment of therapeutic measures by medical college administration, including
assessment, education and provision of mental health services.