Assessment of Mental Stressors & Associated Factors with Trend Perspective Among the Medical Students in a Government Medical College in Bangladesh

Abstract

Introduction: Addressing mental health issues properly among the medical students is important as because the condition is associated with progression, poor academic performance and other related consequences. The related burden may be manifested in the form anxiety, stress & depression. These manifestations are due to the academic as well as personal pressures. The trend of mental stress inducing factors in the medical students may vary from country to country and from time to time. Objective: The study tries to find the observed mental stressors in line with trend perspective, a medical student face (such as familial and personal relationship conflict, financial constraints, coping incapability, intense competition, lack of due guidance from seniors & teachers, feeling of uncertainty about professional integrity, fear about professional establishment, professional insecurity and politicization of medical education & profession) and to quantify the development of depression, anxiety and stress in relation to those observed stress factors. Methods & materials: The study was done to find out depression, anxiety & stress status among the medical students using DASS 21 Bangla version questionnaire alongside a pre-structured yes/no questionnaire involving the stress inducing factors (as mentioned) to elicit and measure the development of depression, anxiety and stress. Result: The results are suggestive of having association with the selected stress inducing factors for development stress, anxiety and depression. Conclusion: These predictable factors are remediable by proper counselling and addressing the mental stressor issues through proper guidance and support. Researchers hope that the study would help to carry further researches on eliciting cause of depression, anxiety and stress among the medical students to find ways for improvement of medical education, prevention of mental stress and its consequences.