Exploring the Impact of Academic Stress on Depression Levels in Medical Students

Abstract

Introduction: This study examines the prevalence of depression among medical  students  and  the  impact  of  academic  stress  on  depressive symptoms.  Understanding  this  relationship  is  vital  for  developing interventions to improve student mental health.
Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 500 medical students at Ibn Sina Teaching Hospital in Iraq. Depression was assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), and correlations with academic stress, cognitive function, and gender were analyzed.
Results:  Findings  revealed  that  42.2%  of  students  had  moderate depression,  15.8%  had  severe  depression,  and 10.2%  had  very  severe depression.  Clinical  students  reported  significantly  higher  depression scores  than  pre-clinical  students.  Female  students  showed  higher depression levels than male students, and academic stress was strongly associated with depressive severity.
Discussion: The  study  highlights  the  high  prevalence  of  depression, particularly  among  clinical  students  and  females.  Academic  stress significantly contributes to depressive symptoms, indicating the need for targeted mental health interventions in medical education.