The Prevalence of Anxiety and Depression Among Medical Students Comparing 10 Countries: Systematic Review

Authors

  • Esraa M. AlEdani
  • Japneet K. Bhangu
  • Khalid Javed
  • Prabhleen Kaur Manshahia
  • Shamsun Nahar
  • Srishti Kanda
  • Uzair Chatha
  • Victor A. Odoma
  • Aakanksha Pitliya
  • Safeera Khan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56570/jimgs.v2i2.132

Keywords:

anxiety, depression, medical students, stress, suicidal ideation, eating disorder, academic load, financial burden, poor sleep quality, emotional stress

Abstract

The prevalence and severity of anxiety and depression among medical students are increasing progressively due to the unhealthy and pressured environment students are surrounded with. Multiple risk factors differ from country to country, which play an important role in their mental health. A systematic review of depression and anxiety was searched in PubMed/MEDLINE, PubMed Central (PMC), and ScienceDirect papers from 2007 and after. Systematic reviews, cross-sectional studies, meta-analyses, and observational studies were included. According to the search strategy, 131 papers were included, and after filtering, 51 papers remained, they were then screened by the title and abstract screening applied, and we ended up with 12; finally, the AMSTAR checklist was applied, and 11 papers were included in the study. Depression and anxiety are major issues that medical students suffer from in different parts of the world. There are a lot of factors that were shared between countries that affect the mental health of students; the most important are academic load and financial burdens. The present review provides a clear picture of the psychological wellbeing of medical students in 10 countries and a comparison with each one, which is important to define which country has the more prevalence of anxiety and depression, and it’s crucial to formulate a health policy for preventative measures and therapeutic purpose.

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Published

2023-09-23

How to Cite

1.
AlEdani EM, Bhangu JK, Javed K, et al. The Prevalence of Anxiety and Depression Among Medical Students Comparing 10 Countries: Systematic Review. Journal For International Medical Graduates. 2023;2(2). doi:10.56570/jimgs.v2i2.132