Prevalence of Depression and Anxiety among Students Preparing for National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test- Undergraduate Exam in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract

Introduction: Indian students are subjected to enormous stress to compete and perform since competitive exams have been made mandatory to enter professional courses. Inability to handle performance pressure, meet parental expectations, and achieve aspirations may lead to psychological distress and subsequent depression. Aim: To estimate the prevalence of depression and anxiety and identify the associated factors among National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) aspirants in the Chennai, India. Materials and Methods: The present community-based, cross-sectional analytical study was conducted at various NEET coaching centres in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, among 250 NEET aspirants between July 2021 and August 2021. A pretested, semi-structured, self-administered online questionnaire with 45 questions, consisting of the Beck Depression Inventory-II and Beck Anxiety Inventory, in the English language was used. Categorical data were presented as frequency and proportions. Pearson’s Chi-square test was used to evaluate differences between groups for categorised variables. Results: Out of the total 250 students, 147 (58.8%) were males and mean age of the participants was 19.38±1.146 years. Overall, 112 (45%) participants had attempted NEET-Undergraduate (UG) exam once and 94 (38%) participants had two attempts. The overall prevalence of depressive symptoms was n=148 (59.2%) and anxiety symptoms were seen in all 250 (100%) participants. Symptoms of severe depression were high among those with three previous attempts(44) and those awaiting their first NEET attempt. The number of previous attempts had a statistically significant (p-value<0.001) association with the severity of anxiety symptoms. Conclusion: This high morbidity of depressive and anxiety symptoms highlights the need for access to preventive and curative mental health services for students preparing for highly competitive exams like NEET.

Keywords

• adolescents
• competitive exams
• mood disorder
• psychiatric morbidity
• stress