Abstract
ObjectiveDue to the high prevalence of psychological distress among medical students and its related functional and cognitive implications, this study aimed to investigate the association between perceived stigma and psychological distress, estimate the prevalence of each level of distress among medical students, and determine the independent significant risk factors of outcome variables for each level of psychological distress.MethodsA cross-sectional study was performed that surveyed medical students at King Saud University in 2018. Using the modified and validated stigma scale for receiving psychological help along with Kessler psychological distress scale, the survey measured perceived stigma towards mental illness in relation to the level of psychological distress.ResultsAmong the 524 participants, 395 surveys were completed. Participants had a mean age of 21.56 years old, and 53% were female. The overall prevalence of severe psychological distress was 30.7% (N = 161). Furthermore, 25.6% of participants reported experiencing moderate distress (N = 134). Additionally, a significant association was found between females and severe psychological distress. Moreover, family income was significantly associated with severe psychological distress in the extreme lower and upper groups (5000–10,000 SR and above 20,000 SR). Participants with high levels of psychological distress were more likely than those with low levels to agree or strongly agree with 3 out of 10 items related to perceived stigma.ConclusionsMedical students with moderate/severe psychological distress disclosed more concerns regarding stigma, particularly about perceived consequences of their mental health issues being revealed to others. Such opinions could cause physical health problems and decrease quality of life.
Highlights
The term psychological distress has been defined as a state of emotional suffering characterized by symptoms of depression and anxiety that are sometimes accompanied by somatic symptoms [1, 2]
The overall prevalence of moderate to severe psychological distress was 56.3%, which showed that the medical students who participated in our study experienced relatively high levels of psychological distress
Our findings showed that females were more affected than males, which offered some confirmation for the previous analysis by Abdulghani measuring stress and its effects on 775 medical students at King Saud University [12]
Summary
Medical students with moderate/severe psychological distress disclosed more concerns regarding stigma, about perceived consequences of their mental health issues being revealed to others. Due to the alarmingly high prevalence of psychological distress and depressive symptoms among medical students [12, 13], early recognition and treatment are important to provide effective management and avoid adverse negative outcomes. None of these local studies addressed the effects of perceived stigma on mental illnesses, which may lead to self-neglect and subsequent underdiagnoses and lack of treatment, among medical students. The objectives of the current study were as follows: to examine the association between perceived stigma and psychological distress, estimate the prevalence of each level of psychological distress among medical students, and determine the independent significant risk factors for all outcome variables (e.g., GPA, year of study, gender, and age) of each level of psychological distress
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