Evaluation of mental health and posttraumatic stress disorder in Iranian medical students during outbreak COVID-19

Aims: with the announcement of the coronavirus pandemic by the World Health Organization, many people experienced a lot of panic. The disease was a major threat to the physical and mental health of individuals because of the rapid spread and severe mortality. The continued spread and closure of schools and universities can affect studentschr('39') mental health. This study aimed to investigate the frequency of posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, and stress in students of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences during the coronavirus outbreak in 2020. Materials and Methods: this cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on students of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences. The sample size was 350 individuals selected by convenience sampling method based on inclusion criteria. Data were collected by DASS-21 and IES-R. Data were analyzed by SPSS18 using the chi-squared and Fisher’s exact tests. Results:according to the results, the majority of students had moderate anxiety (33.6%) and posttraumatic stress disorder (26.2%). Depression (38.5%) and stress (55.3%) were common in most students. Analysis of logistic regression showed a significant correlation between anxiety, stress, depression, and PTSD. Conclusion:the results suggest mental health problems among medical students. Therefore, it is recommended to implement psychological counseling programs to reduce these cases. Keywords: COVID-19, Students, Anxiety, Depression, Stress, Posttraumatic stress disorder http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/