Evaluation of Stress, Anxiety, Depression, and Sleep Disorders in Medical Students of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Iran, during the COVID-19 Pandemic

One of the high-risk groups for infection with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is considered medical students. In this regard, this study was designed and carried out to evaluate the status of stress, anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders in the medical students of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in the first half of 2020 on medical students (clerks and interns). The information required for the study, including demographic characteristics, study year, accommodation in a dormitory or home, and levels of anxiety, stress, depression, and sleep disorders were online collected by completing the standard Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scalequestionnaire and 7-Item Insomnia Severity Index, respectively. The data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 16). A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

A total of 257 medical students were surveyed 55.6% of whom were female. The mean value of students’ age was 24.09±1.61 years. In this study, 171 (66.6%)  participants were interns and 105 (40.9%)were living in dormitories. Moreover, 62.3% (n=160) of the students were in contact with COVID-19 patients. After the pandemic, about 28.4%, 17.1%, 21.8%, and 20.6% of the participants were depressed, stressed, anxious, and with sleep disorders, respectively. There was no statistically significant relationship among the variables of demographics, accommodation in the dormitory, and their study year with stress, anxiety, depression, and insomnia.

The incidence of psychological complications, including anxiety, stress, depression, and insomnia, in the medical students of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences during the COVID-19 outbreak is high. In critical situations, such as the recent pandemic, appropriate prevention, early interventions, and access to mental health services are essential to prevent dysfunction and maintain the mental health of vulnerable groups.