Sintomas da Depressão em Acadêmicos Brasileiros de Medicina: uma Análise Sociodemográfica e Comportamental

Juliana Marinho Bicalho, Lucas Leal Bastos Morais, Deborah de Farias Lelis, Marcelo Perim Baldo, Thais de Oliveira Faria Baldo, Emerson Ribeiro Lima, Marília Fonseca Rocha, Luçandra Ramos Espírito Santo

Abstract

The cross-sectional analytical study examines the mental health of Brazilian medical students who enrolled in the year 2021. Data were collected through an electronic survey, with participants required to be at least 16 years old, enrolled in a medical program, and provide informed consent to participate in the study. Mental health self-perception was obtained using the DASS-21 Scale. Statistical analyses were conducted with the SPSS v.22 package, with significance set at P< 0.05. A total of 446 respondents were obtained, of whom 44.17% were categorized as having depression. Analysis of family income showed that students with an income between 6 and 12 minimum wages had a 74% higher likelihood of developing depression (95% CI: 1.030-2.963, p = 0.039) than students with an income above 12 wages. Attending a private medical school is a protective factor for depression, as these students had a 45% lower risk of developing depression. Additionally, physical activity also proved to be protective, as participants who exercised had 41.8% lower chances of developing this psychopathology. Therefore, medical students have a higher incidence of depression, especially those who are sedentary, enrolled in public institutions and from lower family backgrounds.