Resumo

MACEDO, Paula Natalie Arraes Guedes et al. Factors associated with depressive symptoms in a sample of Brazilian medical students. Rev. Bras. Educ. Med. [online]. 2009, vol.33, n.04, pp.595-604. ISSN 1981-5271.

Objectives: 1 - Verify the prevalence of depressive symptoms in first to fourth-year medical students using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). 2 - Establish correlations between target factors and higher or lower BDI scores. 3 - Investigate the relations hip between the prevalence of depressive symptoms and the demand for psychological care offered by the Centro Universitário Lusíada. Method: Cross-sectional study of 290 first to fourth-year medical students; implementation of the BDI, socio-demographic survey, and evaluation of satisfaction with progress. Results: The study sample was 59% female and 41% male. Mean BDI was 6.3 (SD 5.8). Overall prevalence of depressive symptoms was 23.1%. The following associations were statistically significant (p<0.05): among students for whom the course failed to meet original expectations, who were dissatisfied with the course, or who came from the interior of the State (20.5%, 12.5%, and 24.4% of the total sample, respectively), for 40%, 36.1% and 36.4%, respectively, the BDI was consistent with some degree of depression. Conclusion: The study showed that there is higher prevalence of depressive symptoms in medical students than in the general population.

Palavras-chave : Depression; Students; Medicine; Prevalence.

        · resumo em Português     · texto em Inglês     · Inglês ( pdf )