Prevalence of depression and suicidal ideation in Medical students of Kashan Medical University

Depression is most prevalent psychiatric disorders that causes impairment in all dimensions of human life. The aim of this study was investigation of the prevalence of depression among undergraduate medial students (interns) of Kashan University of Medical Sciences. This analytical cross-sectional study was carried out on all of medical students in internship (n=160) in Kashan University of Medical Sciences (2014). The instruments were Beck Depression Inventory (28) and a questionnaire consists of personal information and factors associated with depression. Data were analyzed using SPSS16 software and Chi square or Fisher's exact test and student t-tests. The mean depression score of interns was 10.26 ± 7.39. Forty five medial students (28.1%) had mild depression, nineteen (11.9%) students had moderate depression, and 2 (1.2%) had severe depression. Prevalence of depression was 41.8%. There was a significant relation between living location and severity of depression (p<0.05). Interns who live in dormitory of university had a higher depression score than interns who live out of dormitory. There was no significant relation between depression severity and sex, marital status (p>0.05). Meanwhile, 8.1% of interns had suicidal thoughts. According to the results, prevalence of depression during internship was considerable. Living in dormitory and living without their families had stress for them. Screening depression, supportive interventions and preparation of proper living situations are necessary for them.