Factors associated with anxiety, depression, and stress in Peruvian university students during the COVID-19 pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, university students have adopted measures that completely transformed their educational environment, and this has generated an increase in psychological stress. The present study aimed to identify the factors associated with anxiety, depression, and stress in students at a university in Peru during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. We conducted a cross-sectional analytical study in students in Lima, Peru. The DASS-21 scale was used to measure levels of depression, anxiety, and stress and associate it with socio-educational and COVID-19-related variables using generalized linear models with Poisson distribution, log link, and robust variance. Of 400 students surveyed, 19.2%, 23.2% and 17.2% of students presented depression, anxiety, and stress, respectively. The frequency of depression (PR = 0.91, 95%CI: 0.84–0.99), anxiety (PR = 0.90, 95%CI: 0.83–0.99) and stress (PR = 0.92, 95%CI: 0.86–0.99) was lower in women. The students of the engineering and business faculty presented a higher frequency of anxiety (PR = 1.11, 95%CI: 1.00–1.22). There was a greater frequency of presenting anxiety, depression and stress in students who worked in a different area of health or did not work. Our results suggest the importance of promoting mental health awareness campaigns in university students due to the constant academic load they have.Campus Lima Centr

Prevalence and Factors Associated with Anxiety and Depression in Peruvian Medical Students

During medical training, students are exposed to stressors that deteriorate mental health. This study determined depression and anxiety prevalence and their associated factors in students from four medical schools in northern Peru. A cross-sectional study was conducted among medical students from Lambayeque, Peru. The Goldberg Anxiety and Zung Depression tests were applied. The dependent variables were depression and anxiety, and their association with covariates (age, sex, type of university, socioeconomic level, experience, family problem, and physical activity) was evaluated. Prevalence ratios were calculated using generalized linear models. Of 482 students, the prevalence of anxiety was 61.8% and depression was 22.0%. A severe level of anxiety was observed in 6.2% in the group between 16 and 20 years old. It was observed that private university students had higher frequencies of having depression (PR = 2.01) and anxiety (PR = 1.35); males had a lower risk of anxiety (PR = 0.82), but higher risk of depression compared to females (PR = 1.45). Performing physical activity decreased the prevalence of depression (PR = 0.53); however, it increased the frequency of anxiety (PR = 1.26). Having family problems increased the prevalence of anxiety (PR = 1.26). Medical students from private universities experienced higher rates of depression and anxiety. Depression and anxiety were associated with gender and physical activity. These findings highlight the importance of mental health promotion due to its link with quality of life and academic performance