Depression and Stress among the First Year Students in University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hochiminh city, Vietnam

Abstract

The prevalence of depressive symptoms, sources of stress in a cross-sectional descriptive study among the first year Medical students at Hochiminh was conducted in February 2008. The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (CES-D) with cut-off point 22 and Students Stress Survey (SSS) questions was self-administrated to 351 subjects. Prevalence of depressive symptoms was 39.6%. Top five stressors were prone to intrapersonal, academic, and environmental sources. Potential personal consequences as exercise practice, leisure activities and quality of relationship with parents and friends were related to students' mental status.