Prevalence of emotional disorders among medical students in a Malaysian university

Abstract

Background: Emotional disorder, one of the common human emotional states is defined as feelings of sadness and tiredness in response to life events, such as disappointments. It is one of the major problems among students and although it consists of more than half of all mental disorders, it is often left untreated each year worldwide. Aim: To determine the prevalence of emotional disorders among medical students at a university in Malaysia. Methods: A cross sectional study design was used. All medical students at a local university in Malaysia were included in the study. A questionnaire similar to the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) was used as a screening instrument. Results: A total of 41.9% of the medical students were found to have emotional disorders. Factors found to have a significant association with emotional disorders were relationship of the respondents with their parents (χ2 = 6.02, d.f. = 1, p < 0.05), siblings (χ2 = 6.94, d.f. = 1, p < 0.05) and lecturers (χ2 = 4.80, d.f. = 1, p < 0.05), as well as pressure prior to exams (χ2 = 10.30, d.f. = 1, p < 0.05). Conclusion: The prevalence of emotional disorders among medical students was high. There was significant association between emotional disorders and respondents’ relationship with their parents, siblings and lecturers, as well as level of pressure prior to exam. Early detection of this condition is important to prevent psychological morbidity and its unwanted effects on medical students and young doctors.