COMPARATIVE STUDY OF PREVALENCE OF DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND STRESS AMONG UNDERGRADUATE MEDICAL STUDENTS IN LONGITUDINAL CURRICULUM OF MEDICAL COLLEGE

Objective: Medical education is long and stressful due to academic demands, frequent examinations, excessive workload, chronic exposure to human suffering and death and vast extensive syllabus, and increased psychological pressure due to multiple reasons, all of which can cause burnout, leading to mental disorders such as depression and anxiety. The aim of the study is to estimate the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among undergraduate medical students of Rama Medical College, Kanpur, and its correlation with year of medical education. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted by providing self-administered questionnaire containing sociodemographic datasheet and depression, anxiety, and stress scale (DASS 42). Descriptive statistics were used to analyze participants’ sociodemographic characteristics and the prevalence of academic burnout using SPSS. The association of academic burnout with academic year was determined using the Pearson correlation coefficient. The data were also analyzed using analysis of variance. Results: Using DASS 42, it was found that 11.8%, 16.8%, and 19% experienced mild, moderate, and severe depression, respectively. 32.5% had mild and 16.6% had moderate anxiety. 17.9%, 22.1%, 9.0%, and 2.0% of students experienced mild, moderate, severe, and extremely severe stress, respectively. The percentages of students experiencing depression, anxiety, and stress increased as the academic year progressed. Conclusion: High prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress was found among undergraduate medical students. One out of every three students is found to be depressed and about half of the students were reported experiencing anxiety and stress. A clear progression of depression, anxiety, stress, and burnout was observed as the academic year progressed.