Gender and Class-wise Comparison of Stressors and Perceived Levels of Depression, Anxiety and Stress among the 2nd Versus 5th Year Medical Students

Abstract

Background: Medical profession is being dominated by female students, but little attention is being paid on making them emotionally and physically competent to match their corresponding gender with whom they have to work in parallel in the near future. Research is crucial in this area to identify their needs and provide solutions. Objectives: To identify female and male gender-related depression, anxiety and stress (DAS) among the undergraduate medical students enrolled in the second versus final year of University College of Medicine and Dentistry (UCMD), The University of Lahore (UOL) and highlight the intricate web of stressors that these medical students encounter. Method: A concurrent mixed method study was conducted on a random sample of 200 medical students of 2nd and 5th year with equal gender distribution. DASS21 scale was used to assess Depression, Anxiety and Stress. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected on Google forms. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively and the qualitative data by manual thematic analysis Results: The 2nd year female students had significantly higher stress than their male counterparts. No statistically significant difference was appreciated within the 5th year gender wise though the females had relatively higher DASS levels. No significant difference on DASS21 was observed within the same gender between the two academic years. The female and male students reported fear of failure and less preparation time versus syllabus load as their major stressors respectively. Conclusion: The study has identified the stressors that influence the wellbeing of medical students and presented their depression, anxiety and stress comparison with respect to their gender and seniority. It has indicated the need to empower females emotionally at the level of their upbringing to formative medical years. Furthermore, male students must learn to manage time and be responsible doctors.