Anxiety, Depression and psychotropic drugs consumption in Medicine students at the IMEPAC University Center

Abstract

Psychological disorders, especially anxiety and depression, have increased in the last century, due to the profound changes that have taken place in the cultural, social and economic spheres, which have been accompanied by pressures from a modern society. These changes required the population to adapt to a new pace of life. In higher education, the academic is confronted with situations that generate psychological pressure and anxiety, which lead to periods of crisis, as they require adaptation to a new role, becoming a young adult. This study aimed to identify warning signs for clinical conditions of anxiety and depression in medical students at the IMEPAC University Center in the period 2021/1. The study sampled a total of 609 students from the 1st to the 8th period of the course. Of these, 92 students filled out an anonymous form and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale via Google Forms. With regard to clinical data on university students, more than half of the students do not have any diagnosed clinical condition (55.43%), and the most diagnosed was anxiety (38.04%), followed by depression (22.82%). Regarding the use of psychotropic drugs, 71.74% said they did not use them and 89.10% said they did not self-medicate. It is evident through this study that the factors: sex, living far from the city of origin, the practice of physical activities and the use of licit and illicit drugs associated with the medical student’s routine are determinants for the development or not of mental disorders like anxiety and depression.