Prevalence of depression and its relation to stress level among medical students in Puducherry, India

BACKGROUND: Currently, depression among medical students is an important health issue at the global level. There is also a paucity of information on its relation to the stress level. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence of depression and its relation to stress level and other factors among medical students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among medical students at a tertiary care medical institution in Puducherry, coastal south India. Beck Depression Inventory Scale was used for screening of depression and Cohen's Perceived Stress scale to assess perceived stress level. Data on associated factors were collected by self-administered questionnaire. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of depression was found to be 48.4% (215/444). According to the cutoff scores, 229 (51.6%) students scored as normal (0–9), 149 (33.6%) as mild (10–18), 60 (13.5%) as moderate (19–29), 3 (0.7%) as severe (30–40), and 3 (0.7%) students scored as very severe (>40) depression. Depression was significantly less among those with mild stress (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 0.010) and moderate stress level (adjusted OR = 0.099) compared to severe stress level and those without interpersonal problems (adjusted OR = 0.448). CONCLUSION: Depression is more common among medical students. Stress coping mechanisms and improvement of interpersonal relationship may help to reduce depressive symptoms among medical students.