Mental problems and risk factors for depression among medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study
Issued Date
2022-09-23
Resource Type
ISSN
00257974
eISSN
15365964
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85139332710
Pubmed ID
36197195
Journal Title
Medicine (United States)
Volume
101
Issue
38
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Medicine (United States) Vol.101 No.38 (2022) , E30629
Suggested Citation
Pattanaseri K., Atsariyasing W., Pornnoppadol C., Sanguanpanich N., Srifuengfung M. Mental problems and risk factors for depression among medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study. Medicine (United States) Vol.101 No.38 (2022) , E30629. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000030629 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/85524
Title
Mental problems and risk factors for depression among medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study
Author's Affiliation
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
Prevalence of depression is high among medical students and several mental problems are identified as risk factors. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic causes difficulties that could adversely affect mental health. However, data concerning prevalence of mental problems, and whether or not these problems remain risk factors for depression during the COVID-19 pandemic in medical students are scarce. To investigate the prevalence of depression, social media addiction, game addiction, sleep quality, eating disorder risk, and perceived stress among Thai medical students, risk factors for depression were investigated. Online surveys via our faculty's learning portals were advertized to medical students who engaged online learning and 224 respondents provided complete data. Study-related medical students' data were collected using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 for depression, the Social-Media Addiction Screening Scale for social media addiction, the Game Addiction Screening Test for game addiction, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index for sleep quality, the Eating Attitudes Test for eating disorder risk, and the Perceived Stress Scale for perceived stress. Depression was reported in 35.7% of medical students, social-media addiction in 22.3%, game addiction in 4.5%, eating disorder risk in 4.9%, poor sleep quality in 80.8%, and moderate-to-high perceived stress in 71.4%. The independent predictors of depression were lower grade point average, social media addiction, and moderate-to-high perceived stress. A high prevalence of depression, stress, and poor sleep was found among medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Medical students who are stressed, have lower grades, and/or who are addicted to social media warrant depression screening.