Publication:

Study of association between psychological stress and depression among medical students in Mangalore

Background Depression is common mental disorder and most prevalent condition worldwide. Medical education carries great burden of stress that can result in depression and it is an area of concern worldwide. The present study was aimed to assess the magnitude of depression among medical students and its association with psychological stress.

Methods Cross sectional study was conducted among medical students at an institution in Mangalore. Students from 1st to 4th years were included in the study, and the level of psychological stress and depression was assessed by using General Health Questionnaire (GHQ -12) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scale respectively.

Results The prevalence of psychological stress and depression was 83.7% and 72.9% respectively. Among depressed students, 24.2% had mild mood disturbances followed by 21.1% had moderate depression. There was a strong association between psychological stress and depression.

Conclusions Depression is highly prevalent among medical students and most of them had symptoms of psychological stress, which was associated with depression.