Prevalence of Psychological Distress and Its Correlation With Sudanese Medical Students’ Sociodemographic Characteristics: A Cross-Sectional Study 2022

TL;DR

This study found high rates of anxiety, depression, and stress among Sudanese medical students, linked to factors like age and gender.

Contribution

The study provides new insights into psychological distress prevalence and its sociodemographic correlates among Sudanese medical students.

Findings

76.8% of students showed anxiety symptoms, the highest among psychological distress types.

Depression and stress were also prevalent at 70.2% and 56.7%, respectively.

Psychological distress was significantly associated with age and gender.

Abstract

Aims: To determine the prevalence of psychological distress among Sudanese medical students and its association with their sociodemographic characteristics.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 353 Sudanese medical students completed an online questionnaire containing socio-demographic data such as gender, age, year of study, marital status, monthly income, and residency. Additionally, the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) items were employed to gauge the levels of psychological distress among the participants and to explore the association with the demographic data. Utilizing the Pearson chi-square test, the analysis delved into the associations between socio-demographics data and psychological distress.

Results: Anxiety was the most prevalent psychological distress among medical students, as 76.8% of them exhibited anxiety symptoms. This was followed by depression, with a prevalence of 70.2%, and 56.7% of the students reported suffering from stress. The study found significant associations between depression and stress with age and gender, as well as a significant association of anxiety with age.

Conclusion: A considerable number of medical students are experiencing psychological distress. It is recommended to implement intervention programmes to educate Sudanese medical students about mental health issues and psychological distress.