DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2016.v04i03.017

Pages: 712-720

Medical students experience considerable amount of stress leading to anxiety, depression and suicidal attempts or suicide. The aim of this study is to evaluate anxiety, depression and suicidal intent in medical students and find out the various areas of stress. A total of 512 medical undergraduate students participated in this cross-sectional study. A semistructured questionnaire was used to find different areas of stress (Academic & Non – academic reasons). Evaluation of anxiety, depression and suicidal intent was done by administering Hamilton scale for anxiety (HAM-A); Hamilton depression raring scale (HDRS) and Beck’s Suicide Intent Scale (BSSI) respectively. Pearson’s Chi-square test; KruskalWallis test and Mann–Whitney test were used to analyze the data at the significant level of p≤ 0.05. Academic areas of stress such as high workload (70%, p < 0.001), long teaching hours (67 %, p = 0.001), understanding the subject (58%, p = 0.006), frequency of tests (41%, p < 0.001) and inaccessibility to teachers (36%, p < 0.001) were statistically significant. Non-academic reasons such as hostel food conditions (68%, p < 0.001), problems with friends and classmates (32%, p = 0.019), financial issues (12%, p = 0.003) and drug/substance abuse (6%, p = 0.007) were also statistically significant. First year students reported higher level of anxiety; whereas second year students experience high level of anxiety, depression and suicidal intent. Various academic and nonacademic reasons increases level of anxiety, depression and suicidal intent in medical students. Assessment of stress may be useful in modifying the teaching system.