Psychological stress among undergraduate medical students

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of psychological stress among medical students and to identify its symptoms and association with depression. A cross-sectional study design was used. Three-hundred and ninety-six medical students at a university in Malaysia were included in the study. Tools similar to the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were used to screen for psychological stress and depression, respectively. 41.9% of the medical students were found to have psychological stress, which was significantly associated with depression (chi2=4.636, df=1, p<0.05). Psychological stress is common among medical students and is associated with depression.