STUDY TO KNOW THE PREVALENCE OF DEPRESSION AMONG MALES AND FEMALES MEDICAL UNDERGRADUATES AND ITS RELATED FACTORS

Introduction and purpose: With high level of demands in academics and psychosocial pressure, medical students during their course of training tend to become depressed, leading to problems later in professional life and compromising patient care. This study was held to determine the prevalence of depression in male and female students and related factors amongst medical undergraduates. Study Design: A Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration: In the Department of Psychiatry in Mayo Hospital Lahore for Six months duration from September 2019 to February 2020. Material and method: out of 330 students from 3rd year to 5th year, 285 students were selected using stratified random sampling method and were assessed by investigators using Beck Depression Inventory. Associations between class of studying and depression, social factors like family problems, substance use, family history of depression and residing away from family were scrutinized by univariate analysis. Results: 78% was the overall depression prevalence among medical students. Most people had mild to moderate depression observed among 80%. This study revealed that among women depression was noted in 74.81% (101) and among males 48.6%. 30(10%) students were found normal (0-9), mild depression was noted in 86 (28.7%) (10-18), moderate in 86 (28.7%) (19-29), severe in 21 (7.0%) (30-40) according to cut-off scores) and very severe depression was noted in 19 (6.3%) with > 40 cut-off score. Among 3rd and 4th year medical students; the depression prevalence was relatively low and the variance between the year of study and grade of depression was significant (χ2 = 122, p