ABSTRACT
Introduction:
Depression is a syndromic term that can encompass a broad spectrum of clinical conditions, but which has aroused academic interest as a result of both its prevalence and the investment in therapeutic devices. Brazil leads Latin America in the ranking of people with depression in absolute and relative terms, and globally has one of the highest rates of prevalence of clinical conditions designated as depression (5.9% of the total population or around 11.5 million people).
Objective:
To determine the prevalence of depression and associated conditions among medical students at the University of Rio Verde in the state of Goiás.
Methods:
This was a cross-sectional study carried out at the University of Rio Verde/GO with medical students. Data collection was through a self-administered instrument, the outcome of which was the referred medical diagnosis of depression. Raw and adjusted data analyses were performed using Poisson regression.
Results:
Among the 1609 study participants, 334 (20.8%; CI 95% 18.8; 22.7) had depression. In the adjusted analysis, the remaining associated factors were: female gender, age over 20 years with low social support, smokers and self-perceived health classed as fair and poor.
Conclusion:
The prevalence of depression was high, pointing to mental suffering among medical students, and it is important for schools to be aware of this reality. The variable associated with the outcome that could be modified was social support, indicating the importance of implementing strategies that minimize the problem and the development of policies with educational counseling and psychological support for students.
Keywords:
Depression; Students; Social Support; Medical Schools