Psychological Distress Among Undergraduate Medical Students in Bangladesh: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study of Public and Private Medical Colleges

Background: Psychological distress among medical students has become an important public health concern worldwide due to intense academic pressure and demanding medical training. This study aimed to compare anxiety, depression and psychological distress among undergraduate students of public and private medical colleges in Bangladesh. Materials and methods: This comparative cross-sectional study was conducted from January to December 2025 among 600 MBBS students selected from six medical colleges, including three public and three private institutions in Bangladesh. Equal numbers of students were recruited from each academic year. Anxiety, depression and distress were assessed using GAD-7, PHQ-9 and GHQ-12 scales respectively. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26. Chi-square test and multivariable logistic regression analysis were performed and p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Moderate-to-severe anxiety was observed among 49.3% of public medical college students and 30.7% of private medical college students. Moderate-to-severe depression affected 48.6% and 28.7% of students respectively. Psychological distress was significantly higher among public medical college students (72.7%) compared to private medical college students (52.0%) (p<0.001). Sleep disturbance, excessive academic workload, fear of professional examinations, female sex and lack of recreational activities were identified as significant predictors of psychological distress. Conclusion: Anxiety, depression, and psychological distress were highly prevalent among Bangladeshi medical students, particularly among students from public medical colleges. Early psychological screening, counseling services and academic stress reduction strategies are essential to improve the mental well-being of future healthcare professionals IAHS Medical Journal Vol 9(1), June 2026; 9-14