Prevalence of depression, anxiety, stress, and substance use among medical undergraduates

Abstract

Background: Prevalence of anxiety and depression indicates the mental health status of the community. Prevalence of stress among the medical students varies from 12% to 73%. They affect their curriculum. Substance use affects their health and academics. It has been estimated by the World Health Organization that there are about 2 billion people who use alcohol, 1.3 billion people who smoke, and 185 million people who use the drugs. Objective: The objective is to study the prevalence of depression, anxiety, stress, and substance use among medical undergraduates. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional survey was conducted among 243 medical and students of a medical college, during the period of November to December 2015. The students were contacted keeping the privacy, and the data were collected in the prescribed study questionnaire. The name, batch, or registration number was not enquired to maintain the confidentiality. Results: The prevalence of depression was 39.1%; mild = 15.2%; extremely severe = 0.8%; moderate = 18.5%. The prevalence of anxiety was 48.5%; mild = 11.5%; extremely severe = 8.6%; moderate = 14.8%. The prevalence of stress was 34.6%; mild = 18.9%; extremely severe = 0.8%. 97 students expressed their inability to concentrate during classes. 15.2% were involved in violence while 14% had thoughts of self-harm/suicide. 54.2% preferred parents as their primary support approach for mental support. 23.5% told the reason for not approaching mentors as they were not accessible. The prevalence of smoking was 5.7%; that of alcohol was 5.7%; and that of tobacco chewing was 3.3%. 12.2% had father as their role model for substance use and 3.6% initiated it out of curiosity. Conclusion: The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress as well as substance use was high in these medical and students. Consequences of mental health issues are lethal. Father was the most common role model for substance use among these students.