Factors associated with the depression, anxiety and stress among High Medical School of Professional Studies students

Abstract

Objective. Objective of this research was to examine which factors were related to depression, anxiety and stress among nurses/technicians, professional studies students. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted among students of the High Medical School of Professional Studies in Belgrade. The sample consisted of 535 students of all three years, between 18 and 56 years of age. Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-42) was used in the research, as well as a questionnaire on personal information which included data on personal impression regarding the importance of exam marks and the feeling of satisfaction with the self as a student. Results. The results of the study showed that 13.6% of the examined student population had symptoms of depression, 25.6% had symptoms of anxiety and 26% had symptoms of stress, which were varying from mild to extremely showing. Average values for all three inspected scales (depression, anxiety, stress) were statistically significantly different depending on the gender of the participants (p = 0.020; p = 0.001; p = 0.001), employment status (p = 0.007; p = 0.020; p = 0.005), total years of service (p = 0.049; p = 0.051; p = 0.017) and feeling of satisfaction with the self as a student (p = 0.000; p = 0.021; p = 0.004). There was a statistically significant difference in average values of the stress scale with respect to the motive to enroll the school (F = 6.445; p < 0.05). Average values of the stress scale were the highest with the participants whose motive was to secure a work position and the lowest with the participants whose motive was promotion in their profession. Conclusion. The results of the research point out the importance of early detection of mental health problems, aiming to find and develop adequate prevention and promotion of programs directed towards improvement of mental health and quality of life. SAŽETAK Cilj. Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je da se ispita koji su faktori povezani sa depresivnošću, anksioznošću i stresom kod medicinskih sestara/tehničara, studenata strukovnih studija. Metode. Sprovedena je studija preseka među studentima Visoke zdravstvene škole strukovnih studija u Beogradu. U uzorak je uključeno 535 studenata sve tri godine studija, starosti od 18 do 56 godina. U istraživanju je korišćena skala za procenu depresivnosti, anksioznosti i stresa (DASS-42) i upitnik o ličnim podacima, koji je obuhvatio i podatke o subjektivnom doživljaju važnosti ocene na ispitu i osećaju zadovoljstva sobom kao studentom. Rezultati. Rezultati studije pokazali su da 13,6% ispitivane studentske populacije ima simptome depresije, 25,6% simptome anksioznosti i 26% simptome stresa, koji su se kretali u rasponu od blago do vrlo jako izraženih. Prosečne vrednosti sve tri posmatrane skale (depresivnost, anksioznost i stres) razlikovale su se statistički visoko značajno u zavisnosti od pola ispitanika (p = 0,020; p = 0,001; p = 0,001), radnog statusa (p = 0,007; p = 0,020; p = 0,005), ukupan radni staž (p = 0,049; p = 0,051; p = 0,017), zatim osećaja zadovoljstva sobom kao studentom (p = 0,000; p = 0,021; p = 0,004). Postojala je statistički značajna razlika u prosečnim vrednostima stres skale u odnosu na motiv za upis u školu (F = 6,445; p < 0,05). Prosečne vrednosti stres skale bile su najveće kod ispitanika čiji je motiv bio obezbeđenje radnog mesta, a najniže kod ispitanika čiji je motiv bio napredovanje u struci. Zaključak. Rezultati istraživanja ukazuju na značaj ranog sagledavanja problema mentalnog zdravlja radi iznalaženja i razvijanja adekvatnih programa prevencije i promocije usmerenih ka unapređenju mentalnog zdravlja i kvaliteta života.