ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Depression has been identified as a prevalent health issue in medical students. Medical schools are recognized as environments with elevated stress levels for students, leading to a perceived higher prevalence of depression in medical students compared to other populations. There has been a documented rise in the prevalence of depression in medical students globally. Apart from the typical stresses associated with medical education, medical students in Nigeria encounter additional contemporary social challenges stemming from income inequality, poverty, insecurity, and political instability.
OBJECTIVE: To assess the knowledge, attitude, prevalence, and factors associated with depression in medical students in the University of Benin, Benin City, Edo state, Nigeria.
METHODOLOGY: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in 2023 amongst 310 medical students at the University of Benin, Benin City using a stratified sampling technique. Data was collected using a structured self-administered questionnaire. The sample size was calculated by using the population proportion size determination formula for estimating one proportion for a descriptive cross-sectional study. Data was analyzed with IBM SPSS version 25.0 and the level of significance was set as p < 0.05. Data presentation was done using charts, frequency tables, and prose.
RESULT: A total of 310 respondents with a mean age of 21.98 ± 2.81 years participated in this study. A majority had good knowledge 270 (87.1%) and appropriate attitude 226 (72.9%) respectively towards depression. One in every ten students was depressed 24 (7.7%) and the most significant factor associated with depression was overwhelming academic responsibility 158 (51.0%).
CONCLUSION: Medical students in the University of Benin had good knowledge and attitude. Depression was prevalent in one-tenth of medical students. Age and class were the major determinants of prevalence of depression. Overwhelming academic responsibility was significantly associated with depression.
KEYWORDS: Depression, Medical students, Mental health, Prevalence
