Examining Change in Student Anxiety and Depression After the First Year of a Professional Program Secondary to Perceived Stress: A Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study

Background: Research has shown that students in the health sciences experience higher levels of anxiety and depression. Objectives: In this study, we endeavor to investigate these results among first-year pharmacy and veterinary students at Auburn University and among first-year medical students at the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine’s (VCOM) Auburn Campus. Methods: We surveyed students after their first year in their respective professional programs using a modified Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HADS) survey. The survey was modified to establish changes in depression and anxiety levels before and after the first year of coursework. Results: Two hundred ninety-five students participated in the survey, 95 veterinary students, 127 pharmacy students, and 73 VCOM students. All programs showed a statistically significant increase in student-reported levels of depression and anxiety. Students from the Harrison School of Pharmacy showed the greatest increase in anxiety and depression, followed by students from VCOM and the College of Veterinary Medicine. Females in all programs entered their programs with higher levels of anxiety than males and also completed their first year with higher anxiety scores than males in the same programs. Conclusions: Students in all three professional programs reported increased levels of anxiety and depression with the largest increase reported in pharmacy students. Efforts to identify the triggers, understand the consequences, and develop interventional methods to improve student wellbeing are recommended.