1Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, DM Wayanad Institute of Medical Sciences, Wayanad District, Kerala
2Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Kanchipuram District, Tamil Nadu
3Lecturer in Biostatistics, Department of Community Medicine, DM Wayanad Institute of Medical Sciences, Wayanad District, Kerala
4Undergraduate Student, Department of Community Medicine, DM Wayanad Institute of Medical Sciences, Wayanad District, Kerala
5Tutor, Department of Community Medicine, DM Wayanad Institute of Medical Sciences, Wayanad District, Kerala
*Corresponding author: Dr Aravind M, Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Old Mahabalipuram Road, Kelambakkam, Kanchipuram District, Tamil Nadu-603103, Phone: 9894320613; Email: m_aravind86@yahoo.co.in
Online published on 9 January, 2019.
Depression has a higher prevalence among medical students compared to general population. This could lead to deteriorating academic performance, errors in patient care and even suicides. There are hardly few studies conducted in this part of the country to assess the prevalence of depression among medical students and also the factors associated with it. Also, there are no studies which have used the new version of the Beck's Depression inventory (BDI-II). Hence in this background the present study was undertaken
This was a cross-sectional study done at DM Wayanad Institute of Medical Sciences, Wayanad District, Kerala, between October 2017 and January 2018. All the undergraduate medical students of the college were the study subjects. Data was collected using a predesigned and pretested self-administered questionnaire (Beck's Depression Inventory II). Completed responses were obtained from a total 720 students.
68.5% were found to have no depression and 31.5% depression. 15.1%, 9.3% and 7.1% were found to have mild, moderate and severe depression respectively. Prevalence of depression was more among males compared to females, unmarried subjects compared to married, Part I-Final Phase students compared to other phases, NRI quota students compared to other quotas, Muslims compared to other religions, urban origin students compared to rural and those with a history of major life event, chronic illness, feeling of loneliness, backlog in academics, consumption of alcohol and tobacco compared to those without. However only place of origin, h/o major life event, feeling of loneliness, backlog in academics and h/o consumption of tobacco and alcohol were found to have statistically significant association with depression.
The prevalence of depression in our study was lower compared to other studies. Urban origin, h/o major life event, feeling of loneliness, backlog in academics and h/o consumption of tobacco and alcohol were found to be associated with presence of depression
Depression, students, medical college, Kerala, Beck's Depression inventory II
