Gender differences in depression, anxiety, stress and quality of life among paramedical students

Background: Understanding the gender differences in depression, anxiety, stress and quality of life among paramedical students with special reference to the Indian context. To study the gender differences in depression, anxiety, stress and quality of life among paramedical students. The present study followed a cross-sectional study design and was conducted at a private medical university in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India. Methods: Purposive sampling technique was used to collect data from 218 paramedical students. Standardized tools General Health Questionnaire, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale and World Health Organization Quality of Life BREF were administered as physical forms. Ethical clearance and informed consent were obtained. Descriptive statistics (frequencies, mean and standard deviation) along with inferential statistics of t-test and Chi Square test were computed in the current study, to understand the gender difference in variables of study. Results: Stress showed a statistically significant difference between male and female participants (χ²=11.151, p=0.025 significant) with females scoring a higher score as compared to males. No statistically significant difference were shown in depression, anxiety and quality of life between the genders despite slight score differences. Conclusions: There is a gender difference as well as a relationship between depression, anxiety, stress and quality of life among paramedical students. These findings suggest the importance of how mental health differs in terms of gender and how it affects the quality of life among the students, specifically with reference to the Indian context.