Anxiety, Depression and Academic Performance: A Study Amongst Portuguese Medical Students Versus Non-Medical Students.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of the study is to assess the prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms in Portuguese medical students compared to students of other faculties, and the possible impact those symptoms have on academic performance. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a sample of 750 students: 512 medical students and 238 nonmedical students. All students anonymously completed a socio-demographic survey and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Statistical analysis was performed using the chi-square test, Mann-Whitney test, Spearman correlation coefficient or Kruskal-Wallis test. RESULTS: We found a prevalence of 21.5% (n = 161) for anxiety symptoms and 3.7% (n = 28) for depressive symptoms. Being a medical student was more significantly associated with symptoms of anxiety (p = 0.034) compared with other students. Depressive symptoms were slightly associated with poor academic performance (p < 0.01). A percentage of 59.6% (n = 96) of students with anxiety symptoms and 46.4% (n = 13) of students with depressive symptoms did not seek medical or psychological care at that time. DISCUSSION: Medical students in this sample seem to have more symptoms of anxiety, possibly explained by a higher number of female students in that sample. Depressive symptoms could be associated with poor academic performance in both groups, but an evident correlation was not established. CONCLUSION: Considering the high levels of anxiety symptoms, the possible impact of depressive symptoms in academic performance and the lack of psychiatric or psychological follow-up reported in this study, it is urgent to develop adequate means of support to improve students' well-being and mental health.

Introdução: Este estudo avalia a prevalência da sintomatologia de ansiedade e depressão em estudantes portugueses de Medicina versus estudantes de outros cursos e uma eventual associação destes sintomas com alterações na performance académica. Material e Métodos: Realizou-se um estudo transversal com 750 alunos: 512 de Medicina e 238 de outros cursos. Todos preencheram anonimamente um questionário sócio-demográfico e a escala Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). A análise estatística foi efetuada utilizando o teste qui-quadrado, teste de Mann-Whitney, correlação de Spearman ou teste de Kruskal-Wallis. Resultados: Observou-se uma prevalência de sintomas ansiosos de 21,5% (n = 161) e de sintomas depressivos de 3,7% (n = 28). Os alunos de Medicina estiveram mais significativamente associados a sintomas ansiosos (p = 0,034) comparado com alunos de outros cursos. Os sintomas depressivos parecem estar mais associados a má performance académica (p < 0,01). 59,6% (n = 96) dos alunos com sintomatologia ansiosa ou e 46,4% (n=13) dos alunos com sintomas depressivos não recebeu acompanhamento psicológico ou psiquiátrico até à data. Discussão: Os alunos de Medicina desta amostra têm maior taxa de sintomas ansiosos, possivelmente relacionado com um maior número de estudantes do sexo feminino nesse subgrupo. Os sintomas depressivos poderão afetar negativamente a performance académica de todos os estudantes, mas não foi estabelecida uma correlação evidente entre estes dois fatores. Conclusão: Dada a elevada taxa de sintomas de ansiedade, o eventual impacto dos sintomas depressivos a nível académico e a falta de acompanhamento especializado reportada nesta amostra, é urgente criar meios adequados de apoio aos estudantes no sentido de melhorar o seu bem-estar e saúde mental.

The Proximity between Hallucination and Delusion Dimensions: An Observational, Analytic, Cross-Sectional, Multicentre Study.

In psychiatric classifications, hallucinations (mainly auditory hallucinations) are one of the fundamental criteria for establishing a schizophrenia diagnosis or any of the related psychotic disorder's diagnoses. The conceptual proximity between delusions and hallucinations was maintained until the end of the XIX century, with several supporters during the XX century. Their limits were not yet definitely defined in terms of Descriptive Psychopathology, and much less so in terms of biochemical and anatomical models. In this article we aimed to analyse the dimensions of both hallucinations and delusions in a sample of patients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. We also intend to find the determinants of the main dimensions of hallucinations. One hundred patients with schizophrenia (80) or schizoaffective disorder (20), 64% males, mean age 39.75, from the outpatient and inpatient units of the Psychiatry Department of Hospital de Santa Maria and the Centro Hospitalar Psiquiátrico de Lisboa were assessed by means of the Psychotic Symptom Rating Scales (PSYRATS) and a structured interview. In this study we designed an empirical based model by means of bivariate Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, and multivariate statistics (linear regression and multiple multivariate linear regression), where the main dimensions of hallucinations are determined by the central dimensions of delusions.