Mental Distress among Medical Students in Khartoum, Sudan 2022

Abstract

Background: Young adults in Sudan face numerous challenges that make it difficult for them to maintain their mental health. Due to the academic workload and performance expectations, medical students suffer from a high prevalence of mental distress. Objectives: to estimate the prevalence of mental distress among medical students and determine the associated factors. Methods: a cross-sectional survey was conducted among medical students in Khartoum, Sudan, using an electronic questionnaire. Mental distress was screened in the period from June 19 to July 30, 2022, using the self-reporting questionnaire (SRQ-20). Descriptive statistics in the form of frequencies and percentages were used to display data. Odds ratios (ORs) with a 95% confidence interval were estimated using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis to determine associations between mental distress and related factors. Results: A total of 432 valid responses were received with a mean age of 20.37. The Overall prevalence of mental distress (SRQ-20 > 8) in medical students was 241 (55.8%). The prevalence was significantly associated with gender (P-Value > 0.001), type of university (P-Value = 0.001), academic level of education (P-Value = 0.026), and family history of mental illness (P-value = 0.001). Conclusion: More than half of the medical students who were screened for mental distress had mental distress. Higher odds are associated with being a female student, attending a private university, studying at a higher academic level, and having a family history of mental illness. This study recommends a review of the academic processes and implementing institutional preventive strategies that target at-risk groups.