A study on mental distress among MBBS students in a Medical College, Kolkata, India

Abstract

Background:The undergraduate medical training period is a stressful period. In the recent years, due to growing competitiveness and aspiration for achievement the pressure on the students has increased manyfolds and makes the medical students more vulnerable for developing mental distress and thus contributes to poor academic performance and substance use. So an observational, cross-sectional study was conducted among the undergraduate students in a medical college to study the prevalence of mental distress among the undergraduate students of Medical College, Kolkata, India and to find out the correlation between mental distress and explanatory variables among the study population. Materials and Methods: It was a cross-sectional, observational study among the undergraduate students in a medical college, Kolkata, India and used SRQ-20 for the assessment of mental distress. Result: The prevalence of mental distress was 14.5%. Present occupancy, parent's occupation, attempt in MBBS entrance examination, students who could not cope with the situation, socioeconomic status, and place of residence were found as risk factors of mental distress. A total of 78% of the explanatory variables could be explained by binary logistic regression analysis. Conclusion: Considering these risk factors, preventive measures should be undertaken to reduce the mental distress and its consequences.

Mental Distress among Students of a Private University of Delhi, NCR

“…Our observations revealed that inability to cope up with the course content was found to be significantly associated with mental distress, Similar findings have also been reported in studies conducted from Kolkata and New Delhi (2) (14) . Family history of mental illness, level of education and global satisfaction with life were other dominant risk factors associated with mental distress as observed in a study conducted among university students from New Delhi (14) .…”

“…A study carried out in different regions of India reflect diverse situations depending on the use of study instruments. Similar findings were observed in the Kolkata study, where the prévalence of mental distress was found to be 14.5% among medical students (2) . A study done among medical under-graduate students in Bhubaneswar (Odisha) reported the prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress using DASS (Depression Anxiety Stress Scale) scale as 51.3%, 66.9%, and 53% respectively (11) .…”

“…Mental distress is defined as disturbance and unpleasant mental-emotional state such as fear, anxiety, depression, confusion and mood swings often impairing the ability to cope with day to day ability (1) . Mental distress is becoming a common problem among university students accounting for nearly 12% of the global burden of disease (2) . By 2020, mental distress is expected to become the second most important cause of disability in the world (2) .…”

“…Mental distress is becoming a common problem among university students accounting for nearly 12% of the global burden of disease (2) . By 2020, mental distress is expected to become the second most important cause of disability in the world (2) . In recent years, due to strong competition and aspiration, this makes the students more vulnerable to developing mental distress.…”