Published online Oct 19, 2023. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v13.i10.772
Peer-review started: December 5, 2022
First decision: January 5, 2023
Revised: January 17, 2023
Accepted: March 22, 2023
Article in press: March 22, 2023
Published online: October 19, 2023
Most medical schools in the world (including Tunisia) still recruit their students based solely on the university entrance exam score. Students’ motivation, though being a crucial conjecture in their academic performance and well-being, has never been conventionally and structurally assessed in Tunisia. As a result, many students simply choose the medical field due to social codes, family influences, and cultural norms.
It is crucial for an educational institution to assess the mental status of students and its associated factors.
To assess the prevalence of depressive symptoms among Tunisian medical students and to evaluate its associated factors.
This is an online survey of students from the four Tunisian medical faculties using Beck’s depression questionnaire.
Sixty-four percent (n = 728) of the participants had depressive symptoms. Female gender, low socioeconomic level, smoking habits and history of mental disorder, performing leisure and physical activities, satisfaction toward a career choice, and happiness perception were the main prognostic factors for depression among medical students.
These findings give insight into mental health issues and comorbidity among Tunisian medical students. It is a hopeful request for decision-makers and academic authorities to take serious measures and offer effective interventions to minimize the currency of psychological distress among this subpopulation.
Further studies are needed to explore other correlated factors (such as emotional intelligence, coping skills, social support, religious beliefs, and personality characteristics) and to evaluate the effectiveness of these measures on depression levels among Tunisian medical students.