Background: Globally undergraduate medical students have a high prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress. Few studies from different parts of India have reported the increased prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress in MBBS students due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. However, the causal relationship between COVID-19 and the deranged mental health of the students have not been established. Further, data from the Kanpur city of Uttar Pradesh are lacking regarding the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of 1st-year MBBS students.
Aims and Objectives: The aim of the study was to explore the impact of COVID-19 on depression, anxiety, and stress of MBBS students in their first professional year.
Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted on undergraduate medical students of a Government Medical College in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India. Seventy-two male and forty-six female students were involved in the study. Most of the students were 17–25 years old. An online Google form was used to know the score of depression, anxiety, and stress scale (DASS). The demographic profile of the participants was also assessed through an online survey using Google form. The Chi-square test was used for testing relationships between categorical variables wherever required and P ≤ 0.05 was considered significant.
Results: The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress was 39%, 52%, and 37%. Gender, age, place of residence, mediation practice, and type of family had no relation with the DASS-21 score.
Conclusion: First-year MBBS students of Kanpur have an almost similar prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress as reported by the previous Indian studies during the pre-COVID-19 pandemic.
Key words: Anxiety; Coronavirus disease 2019; Depression; MBBS; Medical; Stress; Undergraduate
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