A study to evaluate prevalence of mental stress among the medical students of a medical college in western India

Abstract

Background: Mental health issues impact people's quality of life worldwide, and educational pressure, sadness, and depression have caused unprecedented risks to mental health among medical college students. The present study aims at finding the factors responsible for mental stress and suicide among medical students.Methodology: A cross-sectional research approach was used to assess the effect of stress on mental health among students. A total of 60 completed questionnaries were collected from random students and were used for the analysis. The survey included 17 close-ended questions targeting demographics, potential stressors, coping mechanisms, and patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for screening, diagnosing, monitoring, and measuring depression, anxiety, and stress. The study's findings were analysed in Microsoft Excel, and descriptive statistics were calculated.Results: Frequency distribution showed that 22-23 year age group showed maximum stress (37.2%) amongst other age groups. The main factor responsible for anxiety and suicide in students includes academic pressure (40%), followed by relationship issues (8.3%). Around 45% of the population feel depressive for several days. Approximately 3.3% of the population has suicidal tendencies nearly every day and should be evaluated for suicide ideation by an expert and should be guided for counselling. Conclusion: The study exhibited 45% of the individuals to have at least one symptom of depression, anxiety, or stress. Overall, our results pointed out students' mental health problems and suggestions that may help build better mental health monitoring programs and treatment methods for the future.