Prevalence of depression, anxiety, and academic stress among medical students during different periods of stress

Abstract

Objective: To determine the prevalence and severity of anxiety, depression and academic stress, as well as to evaluate the variation between a high stress level period (hsp) and a low stress level period (lsp). Methods: A longitudinal descriptive study was performed, using the Beck’s anxiety-depression inventories and academic stress, during a period of examinations and another free of evaluation in medicine students at the Universidad Veracruzana. Results: A prevalence of 75.4% of anxiety symptoms was observed in the hsp, decreasing 10.8% in lsp. There were 41% depressive symptoms in the hsp, decreasing 30.6% in lsp. Academic stress was observed in 70% in the hsp, decreasing 19.5% in lsp, in both periods, the main stressors were exams, academic overload, lack of time and expositions. Conclusion: There is a significant decrease between the hsp and lsp, however, in the latter high levels of anxiety, depression and academic stress prevail.