Abstract
BACKGROUND: Anxiety disorders among medical students constitute a global problem, and also reflect the mental state of the general population. There is paucity of data on the spectrum of such disorders among medical students in Nigeria.AIM: The study aims to determine the prevalence of anxiety disorders among medical students, and the effect of socio-demographic characteristics.METHODS: A total of 217 medical students from the second to the final years of study at Enugu State University of Science and Technology in south-east Nigeria were enrolled by simple random sampling. Five pretested, self- administered standardized questionnaires were used as screening tools for anxiety disorders. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences program (SPSS version 20). A p-value less than 0.05 was taken as statistically significant.RESULTS: Thirty one (14.3%) of the enrolled medical students fulfilled the screening criteria for anxiety disorders. Specifically, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) was significantly related to gender (p =0.017) and the year of study (p =0.017). Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was significantly related to the year of study (p =0.037), and social anxiety disorder (SAD) to the year of study (p =0.003) and gender (p =0.04). Similarly, panic disorder was significantly related to the year of study (p =0.025) while specific phobia was significantly associated with marital status (p =0.003), parental monthly income (p =0.022) and student’s monthly allowance (p =0.002). Finally, obsessive-compulsive disorder was significantly related to marital status (p =0.034) and year of study (p =0.028).CONCLUSION: Medical students in Nigeria are prone to a spectrum of anxiety disorders. This susceptibility is influenced by socio-demographic characteristics.
Highlights
The medical student is constantly at risk of physical and psychological stress given the rigorous training programs and didactic syllabus (Bostanci et al, 2005)
Panic disorder was significantly related to the year of study (p =0.025) while specific phobia was significantly associated with marital status (p =0.003), parental monthly income (p =0.022) and student’s monthly allowance (p =0.002)
Obsessive-compulsive disorder was significantly related to marital status (p =0.034) and year of study (p =0.028)
Summary
The medical student is constantly at risk of physical and psychological stress given the rigorous training programs and didactic syllabus (Bostanci et al, 2005). The burden of anxiety disorders among students is well documented in studies conducted outside Africa (Wittchen, 2002; Goodwin et al, 2005; Kessler et al, 2005; Leon et al, 1995; Asaad & Aqeel, 2010; Connor et al, 2001) and consists of generalized anxiety disorders (GAD), panic disorders, social anxiety disorders (SAD), phobias, post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD) and obsessive compulsive disorders (OCDs): with reported prevalence rates of about 35%, 2.7%, 8%, 9.6% ,4.7%, and 1.3% respectively. There is paucity of data on the spectrum of such disorders among medical students in Nigeria
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Journal of Educational and Developmental Psychology
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
