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Mental disorders among Yugoslav medical students
L Erić1, Z Radovanović, I Jevremović
1Institute of Psychiatry KBC Dedinje Belgrade, Yugoslavia.
Summary
Mental health disorders are prevalent among medical students, affecting over 16% at enrollment and two years later. Annual incidence is 5.3%, with neuroses being the most common diagnosis.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Psychiatry
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Medical school is a stressful environment.
- Student mental health is crucial for academic success and future practice.
- Longitudinal data on medical student mental health is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the point prevalence and incidence of mental disorders in medical students.
- To identify the most common mental health diagnoses in this population.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 523 medical students was assessed.
- Mental health was evaluated one month after enrollment and again two years later.
- Point prevalence and incidence rates were calculated.
Main Results:
- The point prevalence of mental disorders was 16.1% at baseline and 17.5% at follow-up.
- The annual incidence rate of mental disorders was 5.3%.
- Neuroses represented the most frequent diagnoses, occurring at a rate of 3.5% per year.
Conclusions:
- Mental health disorders are a significant concern throughout medical school.
- Interventions may be needed to support medical student mental well-being.
- Further research should explore risk factors and effective support strategies.