Ansiedad y depresión identificadas con la Escala de Golberg en estudiantes universitarios del área de la salud.

Monterrosa-Castro, Álvaro; Ordosgoitia-Parra, Estéfana; Beltrán-Barrios, Teresa

Introduction. University programs in the health-care field are challenging and their routines are exhausting. Therefore, they create stress and a potential negative psychological impacts on students. This study's objective was to determine the prevalence and factors associated with anxiety and depression in students in the health-care field. Methodology: A cross-sectional study applied to Medical, Nursing and Pharmaceutical Chemistry students from a Colombian university, who anonymously and voluntarily completed a form with sociodemographic data and the Goldberg Anxiety and Depression Scale. Logistic regression was performed: anxiety or depression (dependent variables) and sociodemographic characteristics (independent variables); p < 0.05, statistically significant. Results Six hundred and ninety-seven young adults participated, whose ages ranged between 20.3±1.7. Forty-three point six percent studied Medicine, 26.2% Pharmaceutical Chemistry and 30.1% Nursing. Anxiety was identified in 49.8% (95% confidence interval:46.0-53.4) and depression in 80.3% (95% confidence interval:77.2-83.1). Studying Medicine, Nursing, being female, overweight and underweight, having previously had a psychological or psychiatric consultation, taking permanent medication and suffering from a chronic disease are all associated with a higher presence of anxiety. Being from a rural area was associated with greater depression. Discussion. The findings show a high prevalence of symptoms of anxiety and depression in the group of university students in the health-care field. Even though the scale that was used does not perform diagnoses, it does suggest the existence of pathological manifestations. Psychosocial factors were associated, especially in juvenile environments. Similar situations have been indicated by various authors. Conclusion. Anxiety was identified in half of the students and depression was identified in eight of every ten. Factors inherent to university life, customs, habits and recreational activities were significantly associated.

COLOMBIA; ANXIETY; STUDENT health services; DEPRESSION in children; YOUNG adults; COLLEGE students; MENTAL health

MedUNAB, 2020, Vol 23, Issue 3, p372

0123-7047

Academic Journal

10.29375/01237047.3881