# 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.

## Key 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.

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12242198