Depression symptoms and quality of life in medicines students in Ribeirão Preto-SP

Abstract

Depression is a major public health problem, characterized by discouragement, loss of interest in daily activities, changes in sleep, mood swings, among other symptoms. On the other hand, quality of life is defined for some as the understanding that an individual has in relation to the environment in which he is inserted, his goals, expectations, concerns, values. Depression among medical students is increasingly evident due to the major changes experienced in their lives when entering higher education, a fact that directly affects the student's quality of life. In this scenario, the present study aims to evaluate the prevalence of depressive symptoms and quality of life among medical students in the city of Ribeirão Preto-SP. For the present study, the Sociodemographic Characterization tests, the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) and the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) were used. Through prediction of sample data, 319 university students, of both sexes, participated in the study.  The participants answered virtually the questionnaires that characterize and stratify the sample, evaluated the concept of satisfaction with life and the components associated with depression. Descriptive statistics were presented as means and standard deviation for continuous variables and as absolute and relative frequency for categorical variables. Spearman's correlation and Person's chi-square tests were performed. There was an inversely proportional correlation between quality of life and depression. 54.8% of participants had some degree of depression. Findings in the literature show that about 50% of the university medical population may have some type of mental disorder, however, there was no statistically significant difference between the university cycles and the classification of depression. A study using the BDI-II shows a higher prevalence of severe symptoms of depression in pre-university students of the medical course when compared to students who taught other courses. Another factor cited by the authors as a trigger for mood swings is the development of medical activities and also separation from the family, having difficulty maintaining interpersonal relationships and socializing. Thus, it is concluded that the quality of life is closely linked with depression. In addition, students are already entering the university with some degree of depression and this depression persists throughout the course. It is necessary to develop strategies that favor a more welcoming environment for students who face problems of this nature.

DOI:https://doi.org/10.56238/globalhealthprespesc-006