ميزان شيوع افسردگي در دانشجويان دانشگاه علوم پزشكي جهرم و ارتباط آن با افت تحصيلي

The Prevalence of Depression Among the Students of Jahrom University of Medical Sciences and its Relationship with Academic Failure.

Introduction: Depression is considered as one of the most important causes of academic failure in educational systems, leading to decreased social, professional and educational performance. Therefore, timely diagnosis of this disorder contributes to prevention of educational failure among students, providing an opportunity for social success during academic years and also promoting mental health in educational settings. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of depression among students of medicines and also its relationship with academic failure in Jahrom University Medical Science. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on all the students (150). The students were divided into successful and unsuccessful groups. Beck questionnaire as well as a questionnaire for demographic data especially those related to depression were used, The collected data were statistically analyzed, using SPSS 11.5. Results: 45.4 % of the students had mild to severe depression and there was a significant relationship between depression and academic achievement (P=0.004). 39.4% of the unsuccessful students and 75% of the successful ones had mild to moderate depression. There was no significant relationship between depression and sex, field of study, occupation and level of parental education. Conclusion: According to the findings, there is a high prevalence of depression especially among unsuccessful students. Therefore, it is recommended that the studentsʹ mental and personal problems be followed up and specific consultation centers be setup to solve this problem.