Frontiers in Public Health (Jan 2022)

The Prevalence and Associated Factors of Depressive Symptoms Among Medical Students in Bangladesh During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Pilot Study

  • Md. Abdullah Al Jubayer Biswas,
  • M. Tasdik Hasan,
  • M. Tasdik Hasan,
  • M. Tasdik Hasan,
  • Nora Samir,
  • Sayma Islam Alin,
  • Nusrat Homaira,
  • Md. Zakiul Hassan,
  • Mst Rabeya Khatun,
  • Afifa Anjum,
  • Afifa Anjum,
  • Sahadat Hossain,
  • Sahadat Hossain,
  • Kamrun Nahar Koly,
  • Farhana Safa,
  • Syeda Fatema Alam,
  • Md. Abdur Rafi,
  • Md. Abdullah al Osman Biswas,
  • Farida Yasmin,
  • Vivek Podder,
  • Tonima Islam Trisa,
  • Dewan Tasnia Azad,
  • Rhedeya Nury Nodi,
  • Fatema Ashraf,
  • Fatema Ashraf,
  • S. M. Quamrul Akther,
  • Helal Uddin Ahmed

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.811345
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9

Abstract

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BackgroundWhilst very limited studies have demonstrated a correlation between the COVID-19 pandemic and depressive symptoms amongst Bangladeshi medical students, the prevalence and associated factors of depressive symptoms as measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) remains widely unknown.ObjectiveThe study aimed to investigate the prevalence and factors associated with depression symptoms among Bangladeshi medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown period.MethodIn this web-based cross-sectional pilot study, medical students' data was collected using the Google Forms web survey platform after obtaining electronic informed consent. A total of 425 medical students were selected using a systematic sampling technique to accumulate depression symptoms and demographic and pandemic-related information. Depression was measured by a self-administered, validated English version of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) tool. The descriptive analysis utilized frequency and percentages, while the stepwise binary logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the factors associated with depressive symptoms.ResultAmong 425 medical students, 62.3% were female, 97.4% unmarried. Almost 80.2% of medical students had mild to severe levels of depressive symptoms as characterized by PHQ-9. A significantly higher probability of depression was found amongst female students (adjusted OR = 1.8), those who struggled to stay away from social media (adjusted OR = 1.8), those who tried to be optimistic for maintaining better psychology (adjusted OR = 11.1), and those who always had a sleeping difficulty in the last 4 weeks (adjusted OR = 8.9).ConclusionA very high prevalence of depression symptoms among Bangladeshi medical students was found across the majority of socio-demographic variables. The alarming prevalence and associated factors of depression suggests the need for follow-intensity psychosocial interventions designed for medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic

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