Depressive Symptoms In Students Research Articles

The relationship of limited mobility of the cervical spinewith postural and mental reactions of students

Introduction: Previous studies have found that, in addition to the general factors for the occurrence of pain and reduced mobility of the cervical spine, the use of electronic devices promotes these, the excessive use of which can also lead to the occurrence of depressive symptoms in students. The aim of this study was to determine the mobility limitation of the cervical spine in students with reported neck pain, to determine the degree of disability and depression due to neck pain, to determine the correlation of mobility limitation of the cervical spine with the degree of disability and depression of students, and to determine the correlation of the degree of disability with the degree of depression. Methods: The research was conducted as a cross-sectional study from May to July 2021 at the University of Zenica in four faculties. The study used the General Questionnaire and two standardized questionnaires to assess disability due to neck pain (Index of Disability due to Neck Pain) and the degree of depression (patient health questionnaire). Results: A total of 147 students with reported neck pain participated in the study. A limitation of mobility was found in 30.6% of the students in flexion, 25.2% in rotation, 23.8% in lateral flexion, and 20.4% on extension. Mild disability due to neck pain was found in 58.5% of students, moderate in 23.8%, and severe in 2.7%. 45.6% of the students had mild depression, 18.4% had moderate depression, and 5.4% had severe depression.Conclusion: Restricted flexion and rotation are more common than restricted lateral flexion and extension of the cervical spine. About half of the students who reported neck pain had a mild degree of disability and mild depression. A strong positive correlation was found between the degree of disability and depression in students with neck pain.

Prevalence and relevant factors of depression among adolescents in Xinjiang, China: A cross-sectional survey.

The aim of this study is to elucidate the prevalence of depression and examine the contributing factors to depression among adolescents in Xinjiang, China. A stratified cluster sampling methodology was employed in this study, with the sample size determined through consideration of prior studies on adolescent depression. Employing this approach, 6 schools were chosen from each prefecture-level city, designated as urban areas, and 3 schools were selected from each county. Subsequently, individual classes were treated as units, and a minimum of 80 students from each grade were surveyed within the entire class. The investigation of adolescents involved the administration of a questionnaire assessing the factors influencing depression, along with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Multivariate linear regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of depression. The occurrence rates of depression were 12.17%, 13.05%, 12.32%, and 9.29% in junior middle school, senior middle school, vocational high school, and college, respectively. The corresponding CES-D scores were 10.54 ± 8.26, 11.20 ± 8.37, 12.17 ± 6.94, and 11.33 ± 6.28. Significant associations with the CES-D score were observed for gender, smoking, alcohol consumption, and spending more than 4 hours online daily across the educational levels mentioned. The risk of experiencing depressive symptoms was elevated among female junior and senior high school students who spent more than 4 hours daily on the internet, engaged in cigarette smoking, and consumed alcohol. The findings underscore the significance of targeting high-risk groups, particularly through home-school collaborations, to mitigate excessive internet use and consequently reduce the likelihood of depressive symptoms in students.

The Effect of Emotion Regulation on Predicting Depressive Symptoms in Students

Background: Many people around the world have been affected by depression, which causes a great deal of problems. Emotion regulation refers to processes influencing emotion, experiences, and expresses. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the role of emotion regulation to predict depressive symptoms among Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences students. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 305 students at Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Iran, who were randomly selected by convenient sampling method. The informed consent forms were signed by the participants. Then the Beck Depression Inventory - Second Edition (BDI-II) and the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Scale (CERQ-18) were completed in a virtual/face-to-face manner due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The data were analyzed with SPSS software version 26. A total of 296 participants were analyzed, of whom 198 (66.9%) were female, and 98 (33.1%) were male. Results: The self-blame strategies (β = 0.31, P ≤ 0.001), positive reassessment (β = -0.26, P ≤ 0.001), catastrophic (β = 0.26, P ≤ 0.001), numerical importance (β = -0.12, P ≤ 0.001) and positive refocus (β = -0.10, P ≤ 0.001) predict 40% of the variance of depression in five steps. Inconsistent strategies such as self-blame and catastrophe directly predict depression. Further, depression is inversely related to positive reassessment, insignificance, and positive refocus. Conclusions: According to the results, there was a significant direct relationship between self-blame and catastrophic thinking as maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies with depression. In addition, positive refocusing and positive reassessment had a significant negative correlation with depression among adaptive emotion regulation strategies.

Empirical analysis of the integration mechanism of explicit and implicit education on the ideological and political education and impact on mental health: The perspective of new media.

Education nowadays should be a combination of explicit and implicit education, which can effectively improve the effectiveness of ideological and political education, promote the development of ideological and political education in universities, and ensure the quality of ideological and political education in universities. This study makes an empirical analysis of the integration mechanism of explicit education and implicit education of ideological and political education from the perspective of new media. A total of 1,050 students were included from the polytechnic university of China in the analysis. Questions regarding age, sex, source of information collections, Internet time, type of browsers used, and the influence of the Internet were asked of the students. The nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire was administered to measure the students' depressive symptoms. A comprehensive study was done to prove the depressive symptoms in students from the perspective of new media. A total of 78 % of students collected information from the Internet, and 1 % of students collected information from books. Most of the students spent more than 1 h on the Internet per day. It was concluded from the data that 245 college students were always influenced by the Internet, accounting for 24%, and 730 college students were occasionally influenced by the Internet, accounting for 73%. Forty-two college students do not influence the Internet, accounting for 4%. It can be seen that 95.6% of college students will be affected by the Internet compared with those who will never be affected by the Internet. Therefore, the new media network has high popularity among college students, as online time accounts for a large proportion of their study time. From the perspective of new media, the integration of explicit and implicit education in ideological and political education is feasible. In today's information age, education implementers need to use a large number of new media images to enable students to accept education in the integration mechanism. From the perspective of new media, it is also necessary to innovate the forms of reports, establish the integration mechanism of explicit education and implicit education, strengthen educational links and interactive exchanges, and promote university education.

Psychological Changes of Music and Fine Arts Students in the Education Process: A Comparative Longitudinal Study.

This study aimed to determine the changes in psychological distress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms in students from the fine arts faculty in the first 2 years of their education in Turkey, in comparison with students from other faculties, and to reveal the causes of psychological distress, anxiety, and depression in fine arts students. The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were applied to students from Faculty of Fine Arts and the Faculties of Economics and Sport Sciences (controls) in the first week of the 2017-2018 academic year. Students also completed a questionnaire measuring their possible stressful life events (at timepoint T1). The process was repeated for the same students in the second year (T2). The changes between the two time¬points were examined prospectively. A total of 96 fine arts students agreed to participate at T1 and 66 at T2 (68.8%); for the controls, it was 259 at T1 and 182 (70.3%) at T2. The fine arts students at T1 included 15 music majors, 45 cinema and television, and 36 handi¬crafts, sculpture, and painting. Their average age at T1 was 21.0 yrs (SD 5.8) and 54.2% were male; for the other students, it was 19.4 yrs (2.7) and 56.0% male. Fine arts students' GHQ-12 score averages increased significantly from T1 to T2 (11.7 to 14.3, p=0.002). Their BDI score averages increased from 10.3 to 12.3 (p=0.044). Moreover, their S-Anxiety score averages increased from 41.1 at T1 to 44.1 at T2 (p=0.008). However, the increase in T-Anxiety scores was not statistically significant. None of the control students' test scores varied between the two timepoints (p>0.05). At T2, for fine arts students, there was no significant difference between female and male students in terms of GHQ-12, BDI, and S-Anxiety scores. However, T-anxiety scores were higher in female students. By linear regression analysis, "worrying about the future (individual)" was found to be a determinant on all scale scores in fine arts students. The psychological indicators increased significantly in fine arts students during the first year of their education.

Bali Usada Meditation Reduces Depressive Symptoms in Senior High School Students in Denpasar

Research on the effectiveness of meditation on various psychological aspects of students has been conducted, however research on the effect of meditation on students' depressive symptoms has yet need to be developed. Depressive symptoms among high school students have impacted on both academic and psychological conditions. This situation requires further investigation on the effects of meditation towards depressive symptoms among high school students. The objective of this study is to determine the impact of meditation on depressive symptoms in high school students in Denpasar. This study was quasi-experimental with control and experimental groups, a total of 63 participants, and was conducted before the pandemic. The meditation technique that applied on was the Bali Usada Meditation. Based on the Independent Samples Test, the researchers found that meditation was proven to significantly reduce the level of depressive symptoms of high school students in Denpasar. The results of this study are expected to be a reference in reducing depressive symptoms in students.

Financial Loss and Depressive Symptoms in University Students During the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Comparison Between 23 Countries.

Objectives: To assess the association between students’ financial loss and depressive symptoms during the first wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and whether this association varied by countries having different levels of lockdown measures. Methods: This cross-sectional survey, conducted in spring 2020, included 91,871 students from 23 countries. Depressive symptoms were measured using the shortened Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale and information on lockdowns retrieved from the COVID-19 government response tracker. The association between financial loss and depressive symptoms was investigated estimating prevalence ratios (PR) with multilevel Poisson models. Results: Some 13% of students suffered financial loss during the lockdown and 52% had a relatively high depression score, with large between-countries differences. Minimally and maximally adjusted models showed a 35% (PR = 1.35, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 1.29–1.42) and 31% (PR = 1.31, 95% CI = 1.26–1.37) higher prevalence of depressive symptoms in students who lost economic resources compared to students with stable economic resources. No substantial differences in the association were found across countries. Conclusion: Depressive symptoms were more frequent among students who suffered financial loss during the pandemic. Policy makers should consider this issue in the implementation of COVID-19 mitigating measures.

Hubungan Intensitas Penggunaan Media Sosial dengan Gejala Depresi pada Mahasiswa Fakultas Kedokteran Universitas HKBP Nommensen

ABSTRACT
 Background: Social media is an inseparable component of human life, included medical students. Social media usage has both positive and negative benefits. Several studies showed excessive use of social media can cause mental health problems, such us depression. This study aims to evaluated the correlation between the intensity of social media use and the degree of depressive symptoms in students of the Faculty of Medicine, University of HKBP Nommensen.
 Methods: Analytical observational study with cross-sectional design was conducted on 101 students of the Faculty of Medicine, University of HKBP Nommensen using questionnaires such us Social Networking Time Use Scale (SONTUS) to measure the intensity of social media use, and Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) to assess the degree of depressive symptoms. Data analysis were done by using the Spearman's rank correlation coefficient test.
 Results: This study showed that 38.6% respondents had low intensity, 41.6% medium intensity, and 19.8% respondents had high intensity of social media usage. There were 81.2% of respondent had no depression, 10.9% had mild depression, 5.9% moderate depression, and 2.0% severe depression. The Spearman test results showed that there is no correlation between the intensity of social media usage and the degree of depressive symptoms (p
 = 0.882) with a very weak correlation value (r = 0.015).
 Conclusion: There is no correlation between the intensity of social media use and the degree of depressive symptoms in the Faculty of Medicine, University of HKBP Nommensen students.
 Keywords: Social media, depression, medical students.

Prevalence of COVID-19 Pandemic, Self-Esteem and Its Effect on Depression Among University Students in Saudi Arabia.

Background and AimsUniversity students are commonly identified as susceptible, suffering from higher anxiety, stress, and depression than the overall population. During the Corona Virus Disease pandemic (COVID), education was shifted to the virtual learning environment. Students' ambiguity regarding academic accomplishment, imminent careers, changes in social life, and other concerns all these factors played a role in amplifying their stress levels, anxiety, and depression worldwide. This study investigates university students' self-esteem and depressions after they have been online learning for over 1 year due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia.MethodsFor this research, an adapted questionnaire of Rosenberg (Self-Esteem Scale) and Zung (Self-Rating Depression Scale) was used to get the responses of the participants of public and private universities in Saudi Arabia during March-April 2021. We received a total of 151 valid responses from respondents. For data analysis, we used descriptive statistics, ANOVA, multiple regression and binary logistic regression.FindingsThe results showed that 75% of the students experienced different levels of depressions, with half (37.5%) having moderate to extreme levels of depression. A total of 41% of students experienced low self-esteem (38% females and 45% males). The regression results indicated depressive symptoms for low self-esteem. Furthermore, results of logistic regression showed that high self-esteem reduces the chances of getting depressive symptoms by 17%. The depressive symptoms were higher in female students than their male counterparts; furthermore, males experienced depressive symptoms less than females by 38%.ConclusionsBased on the current research results, it is concluded that the presence of the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically increased the depressive symptoms in students, especially in female students. The findings suggested instant consideration and support for students. It is also suggested to the quest for potential managing policies that have been known and effective during the pandemic. Moreover, training should be provided for students to shift their educational experience mindset to an adaptive mindset, which can help them adapt to the new ways of learning and education.

Association between physical fitness and depressive symptoms in university students: a cross-sectional analysis

Objective: physical fitness is one of the most relevant predictors of an individual's mental health status. However, few studies have described the relationship between physical fitness and depressive symptoms in students from Latin America. The aim of this study was to verify the association between physical fitness and self-reporting of depressive symptoms among university students. Research methods and procedures: a cross-sectional study was conducted in 344 undergraduate students (53 % women, with a median age of 20 years, ranging from 18 to 23 years), from four public and private universities in Cali, Colombia. The components of physical fitness (vertical jump, arm pushups, trunk pushups and aerobic fitness) were assessed by field tests and a global fitness z-score was calculated as the mean of the z-scores values of each fitness test. In addition, global fitness z-score was divided into tertiles (T) to obtain three balanced groups: (T1) low, (T2) medium, and (T3) high global fitness z-score. Results: twelve percent of the population suffer from mild depressive symptoms, while 10 % reported moderate/severe depression, with women showing the highest score on the Beck-II Depression inventory. In men, inverse and statistically significant correlations were observed between the depression score of the Beck-II Depression inventory and lower muscle strength-vertical jump (Z-score) r = -0.190, aerobic fitness (Z-score) r = -0,195, and global fitness z-score r = -0.189; p < 0,01. The similar findings were observed after adjusting for age, smoking, alcohol intake and physical activity levels as covariable, between (T 1) and (T3) global fitness z-score, p = 0.028 in men. Conclusion: our results indicated that lower muscle strength and global fitness z-score was inversely related to self-rate depression symptoms using the Beck II depression inventory in men group.

Benevolent Childhood Experiences and Depressive Symptoms Among Chinese Undergraduates: A Moderated Mediation Model Examining the Roles of Uncertainty Stress and Family Relationship.

Background: The evidence on the association between benevolent childhood experience (BCE) and depressive symptoms in students is complex. This study aims to explore the underlying mediation mechanism of BCE toward depressive symptoms and whether this link was moderated by the family relationship among Chinese undergraduates.Methods: From March 2021 to May 2021, a cross-sectional study was conducted in China, and 1821 undergraduates were recruited in this study. Participants were asked to complete a self-reported electronic questionnaire. The software SPSS PROCESS macro was used to test the mediation and mediated moderated modeling analysis.Results: Mediation analysis indicated that uncertainty stress (US) partly mediated the link between BCE and depressive symptoms (indirect effect = −0.47, 95% bootstrap CI = −0.55, −0.39). The indirect effect of the US accounted for 39.63% of the total variance in depression. Moderation analysis indicated that the association between the US and depressive symptoms was significantly modified by family relationships (interact effect = −0.019, P < 0.001). An integrative moderated mediation analysis indicated that the indirect effect from BCE to depressive symptoms through the US was also moderated by family relationships (interact effect = −0.012, P = 0.014).Conclusion: Uncertainty stress plays a key role in bridging BCE and depressive symptoms while the family relationship can buffer the impact of the US on depressive symptoms among Chinese undergraduates. Enhancing tolerance of uncertainty and improving family relationships are needed to protect undergraduates from depressive symptoms.

ASSOCIATION OF PERCEIVED STRESS AND COPING STRATEGIES WITH DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS IN STUDENTS AT A PRIVATE MEDICAL COLLEGE IN ISLAMABAD

Objective: To determine the association of perceived stress and coping strategies with depressive symptoms in students at a private medical college in Islamabad.&#x0D; Study Design: Correlational study.&#x0D; Place and Duration of Study: Foundation University Medical College, Islamabad, from Jun to Dec 2019.&#x0D; Methodology: Fourth and Final year medical students of Foundation university medical college were enrolled in the study. Beck’s Depression Inventory was used to assess the depressive symptoms, perceived stress scale (PSS) was the tool used to look for the perceived stress and the coping strategies were assessed using the Brief Coping Orientation to Problems experienced (Brief COPE) Inventory. The association of perceived stress and coping strategies with depressive symptoms and other sociodemographic factors was established with the help of the chi-square test.&#x0D; Results: Out of 262 medical students included in the study, 211 (80.5%) had none or mild depressive symptoms while 51 (19.5%) had moderate to severe depressive symptoms. Sixty-six (25.2%) had low stress, 127 (48.4%) had moderate stress while 69 (26.3%) reported high stress levels. Pearson chi-square test revealed that perceived stress and the coping strategies used including self-distraction, active coping, denial, substance use, behavioural disengagement, positive reframing, acceptance, religion/spirituality and self-blaming had a statistically significant relationship with the presence of depressive symptoms among the target population.&#x0D; Conclusion: Considerable number of medical students had the presence of moderate to severe depressive symptoms in our study. Perceived stress and some specific kinds of coping strategies had a significant association with the presence of depressive symptoms among the target.......

Relationship of visual, attentional and contextual variables together with internalized (depression), and externalized (behavior) problems

Physical exercise as an educational formula improves the motor and cognitive learning of students, and allows us to strengthen the motor, coordinative and visual skills of the students, boys and girls, that will be decisive for their integral development. The general objective of the study is to examine the relationship of visual, attentional and contextual variables, together with internalized problems (depression), and externalized problems (behavior) in primary school students. 76 students participated in the study, of which 53 were boys (69.73%) and 23 girls (30.27%), with a mean age of 6.68 and a standard deviation of .799. The students participated in a multisport activity where three protocols were previously administered: an optometric evaluation, the Caras-R, Identical Forms-R and SENA to evaluate visual discrimination, sustained attention and contextual factors. The regressive models of the study predict, firstly, that better visual and attentional discrimination avoids depressive symptoms in students, and, secondly, that contextual factors act exclusively and directly in the face of depressive-type symptoms. The importance of the visual task as a variable directly related to depression and significantly together with attention in the prediction of adaptive behaviors stands out as a novelty. Thus, good visual discrimination is an important factor in sports practice and in the prevention of emotional and behavioral problems.

Association of perceived stress and coping strategies with depressive symptoms in students at a private medical college in islamabad

IntroductionThe environment at medical colleges is competitive and typically generates higher stress levels. Both academic and psychosocial stresses appear to play a role, and the resourceful students who are able to employ effective coping strategies to deal with their stress are shown to outperform their peers in the academic settings.ObjectivesObjective: To determine the Association of Perceived Stress and Coping Strategies with Depressive symptoms in students at a private medical college in IslamabadMethodsFourth and Final year medical students of Foundation university medical college were enrolled in the study. Beck’s Depression Inventory was used to assess the depressive symptoms, Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) was the tool used to look for the perceived stress and the coping strategies were assessed using the Brief COPE Inventory. Association of Perceived Stress and Coping Strategies with Depressive symptoms and other sociodemographic factors was established.ResultsOut of 262 medical students studied, 211 (80.5%) had no or mild depressive symptoms while 51 (19.5%) had moderate to severe depressive symptoms. 66 (25.2%) had low stress, 127 (48.4%) had moderate stress while 69 (26.3%) had high stress. Chi-square test revealed that perceived stress, self-distraction, active coping, denial, substance use, behavioral disengagement, positive reframing, acceptance, religion/ spirituality and self-blaming had statistically significant relationship with presence of depressive symptoms among the target population.ConclusionsConsiderable number of medical students had presence of moderate to severe depressive symptoms in our study. Perceived stress and some specific kinds of coping strategies had significant association with presence of depressive symptoms among target population

Impulsivity Mediates Associations Between Problematic Internet Use, Anxiety, and Depressive Symptoms in Students: A Cross-Sectional COVID-19 Study.

Background: Problematic internet use (PIU) is a serious global mental health issue that especially manifested during the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Engagement in PIU as an impulsive coping with mental distress may pose a long-lasting threat to develop anxiety and depressive disorders. The first aim of our study was to investigate the prevalence of PIU and mental distress symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic among university students in Lithuania. The second aim was to test the hypothesis that PIU affects anxiety and depressive symptoms through the mediating role of impulsivity.Methods: The cross-sectional study was comprised of 619 university students (92.9% females and 7.1% males) with a mean age of 22 ± 3 years who participated in an online survey from May to November, 2020. Participants completed the following scales: the Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire-9, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire-7, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11. K-means cluster analysis and one-way multivariate analysis of variance were used for group comparison in terms of internet use time and habit change during COVID-19 pandemic. Structural equation modeling was applied to examine the mediating effect of impulsivity in association between PIU and mental distress, while controlling for age.Results: In sum, 45.1% of the participants reported PIU and 38.1% had markedly expressed symptoms of anxiety while 43.6% of the students reported moderate to severe depressive symptoms. During the COVID-19 pandemic 76% of the students reported at least moderate increase in their internet use time. Anxiety and depressive symptoms were significantly higher in the group of frequent internet users. The results of the structural equational modeling analysis showed a statistically significant effect of PIU on subjective anxiety symptoms and the statistically significant effect of PIU on subjective depression symptoms, both mediated via impulsivity.Conclusions: During COVID-19 pandemic, PIU, anxiety and depression symptoms are highly prevalent among students. Findings also suggest that relationships between PIU, anxiety and depressive symptoms are mediated via impulsivity. These results underscore the importance of the inclusion of impulsivity factor in the studies analyzing longitudinal effects of PIU on mental distress during COVID-19 pandemic.

Asking future doctors: what support options do medical students want to cope with medical school?

AimMedical school is demanding, and research aimed at improving the mental health of medical students is scarce. No quantitative study about which specific measures students actually prefer to reinforce their health has been performed yet. The aim of this survey is to find out which types of support should be given to medical students according to students’ own perspectives.Subject and methodsA classroom survey of medical students (N = 1108, years 1–5) was carried out regarding various support options and depressive symptoms. The statistical analysis was finalized using chi-square tests, t-tests, and the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test.ResultsThe support options with the highest average scores were accessible sports classes, desire for free water/fruit during lectures, and a clear study structure. Groups to exchange experiences with, including social media groups, were favored less. Depressive symptoms in students correlated with a higher level of applicability of support options.ConclusionMedical students require supportive study conditions. Specific subgroups of medical students could not be correlated to a particular support program. Thus, we need a support program that addresses students’ wishes, not a program based on feasibility, staff interests or passions.

Sintomas depressivos em estudantes de uma universidade no extremo norte da Amazônia Brasileira

Sintomas depressivos em estudantes de uma universidade no extremo norte da Amazônia Brasileira

Depressive Symptoms Among Sarajevo University Students: Prevalence and Socio-Demographic Correlations.

The aim of this research was to detect the presence of depressive symptoms among the student population at a Faculty of Medicine, as well to determine the correlation between the socio-demographic characteristics and students' lifestyle and depressive symptoms. Of 800 students enrolled and asked to participate, 412 responded to the survey. The study included students from all 6 years of studies. The degree of depressive symptoms was measured by a 21-item revised form of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). We built bivariate logistic regression models to study whether age, gender, housing accommodation, year of medical training, and school success status (Grade Point Average - GPA) were associated with depressive symptoms. The results are reported as odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). The study revealed that almost one third of students reported BDI >16 (30.1%). The present study did not find any association between BDI scores and study year or age difference, but we found that there was an association between housing accommodation and depressive symptoms. Students who lived with their parents had lower BDI scores than those who lived in a dormitory. The results of this study showed there is a negative correlation between physical activity and depressive symptoms in students, as well as that there is a positive correlation between depressive symptoms and substance abuse. Overall, our study confirms that the factors associated with an increase in medical students' depressive symptoms are housing accommodation, a lack of physical activity and substance abuse. Regarding failing a year of study at the medical school, as well as gender and age differences, we did not find any significant difference between students with higher compared to those with lower depressive symptoms.

Depression in health college students: relationship factors and sleep quality

ABSTRACTThis research was conducted to determine depression symptom frequency in health sciences students (n = 445), to investigate sleep quality and some related factors. In this study of the students approximately one fifth of the students showed depressive symptom. Students with poor academic performance, poor economic status, smoking or alcohol use, chronic illness or mental problems are more likely to experience depression. As sleep quality deteriorates, the level of depression also increases. The risk of depressive symptoms in students with poor sleep quality was 3.28 times.

Depressive Symptoms &amp; Associated Stressors among Medical Students

Background: Depressive symptoms are commonly occurring in many psychiatric illnesses. Many people experience the first symptoms of depression during their college years. Unfortunately, many college students who have depression are not getting the help they need.Objectives : to find out the point prevalence of clinically significant depressive symptoms in students of Baghdad College of Medicine, University of Baghdad, and its association with life stressors.Subjects and Methods: A cross sectional study of students of Baghdad College of Medicine, University of Baghdad during March and April 2013. A random sample was chosen and each student was asked to fill a questionnaire that contains demographic information, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), and the Student's Stressors Questionnaire. Data were analyzed by using SPSS (V.18). Appropriate tests were used for significance.Results: A total of 250 students (140 females and 110 males) was surveyed which included 50 students from each year. Female to male ratio was 1.27. Their age ranged between 18–45 years and the mean age was 22.2 ±2.3.Twenty-eight percent have clinically significant depressive symptoms, 12.4% have milder form of depression according to PHQ-9. Clinical depressive symptoms found among 37.2 % (borderline clinical depression to extremely severe depression) according to BDI-II. The mean of life stressors scores was 97.98 out of 180 (SD=18.68). Educational, psychological, and environmental stressors were the most common types of stressors. There is strong statistical relationship between life stressor category and clinically significant depressive symptom (P value= 0.000).Conclusion: clinically significant depressive symptoms are common among medical students of Baghdad University. Stressors were high and are positively associated with the presence of depressive symptoms.