Prevalence and factors associated with depressive symptoms among medical students in their first and final year of study

Background/Aim. The mental health of medical students worsens during their studies, and research shows that are at high risk depression. aim this study was to evaluate the prevalence depressive symptoms examine association between various factors in a sample first- sixth-year University Novi Sad. Methods. A cross-sectional conducted Faculty Medicine consisted 308 divided into two groups ? 213 first year 9 5 final (sixth) studies. Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) used measure symptoms. Within instrument, item identify suicidal ideation. Self-esteem evaluated with Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). Additional questions were focused on self-assessed material status, lifestyle factors, healthcare-seeking. Univariate multivariate logistic regression analyses applied. Results. episodes among 16.6%. Almost 9% had thoughts committing suicide. First-year low self-esteem almost seven times more likely suffer from moderate severe than those self-esteem. Students who sleeping pills or sedatives without prescription nearly five have PHQ-9 score 10 not [odds ratio (OR) = 4.97, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.83?13.52)]. Sixth-year poor average social relation-ships stronger 1 0. Conclusion. There is students, it associated both groups, use sedative first-year students. We recommend routine screening for depression establishing prevention intervention programs.