Assessment of depression and anxiety in higher education students of Danil Halytsky LNMU during the war, and related factors

Abstract

Introduction. The mental health of youth during war is critical due to exposure to traumatic events, hostilities, loss, and general instability. War creates stressful conditions that increase the risk of developing mental disorders, in particular, anxiety and depression. Young people are particularly vulnerable to such influences. The purpose of the study. The correlation between the development of anxiety and depression in students of medical education at DNP "LNMU named after DANYLO HALYTSKY" was studied. Materials and methods. Data were collected through a personal interview using a structured and pre-tested questionnaire and the Beck Depression Inventory self-report form– II (BDI-II). Basic socio-demographic data were collected, the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire-2 (GAD-2) were used. Research results and their discussion. The association of depression and anxiety with place of residence is generally a controversial finding in the existing literature, as there are many studies supporting this association and many studies disproving it. In the study, social status was significantly associated with symptoms of moderate and severe depression. Higher income was associated with fewer depressive symptoms. The results of the study show that most patients have access to social support. Conclusions. The influence of various factors on anxiety, stress resistance, psychological individual and personal characteristics of a person are extremely relevant. Students of medical institutions during the war may be at risk of developing depressive conditions. The conducted studies showed that the majority of the subjects had varying degrees of anxiety, some were diagnosed with depression bordering on a depressive disorder.