Depression in Romanian Medical Students-A Study, Systematic Review, and Meta-Analysis.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Psychiatry
• Public Health

Background:

• Depression is a major global mental health issue, disproportionately affecting medical students.
• This study addresses depression prevalence and contributing factors in Romanian medical students.
• It integrates a local cross-sectional study with a national systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the prevalence of depressive symptoms among medical students at Dunărea de Jos University of Galați.
• To identify psychological and demographic factors associated with depression in this population.
• To determine the pooled national prevalence of depression in Romanian medical students through a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey using online questionnaires (PHQ-9, personality, procrastination) was administered to 495 medical students (Years I-III).
• A systematic review of PubMed and Web of Science identified relevant Romanian studies on medical student depression.
• Random-effects meta-analysis was employed to pool prevalence data from six included studies (N=1546).

Main Results:

• 34.0% of medical students in Galați reported clinically significant depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 ≥ 10).
• Factors associated with depression included female gender, third year of study, low social support, high neuroticism, and procrastination.
• The national pooled prevalence of depression among Romanian medical students was 19.99% (95% CI: 18.24-21.73%).

Conclusions:

• Romanian medical students, especially in Galați, exhibit a high prevalence of depression.
• Findings underscore the critical need for tailored mental health interventions within Romanian higher education institutions.
• The study provides crucial data for developing targeted support systems for medical students' well-being.