Anxiety and depression symptoms among first-year medical students in Ukraine: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Aim: To assess the prevalence and severity of symptoms of anxiety and depression among 18-year-old students according to the results of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and to analyze sex differences, the relationship between subscales, and the internal consistency of the questionnaire in the study sample. Materials and Methods: Sixty-eight respondents aged 18 years were assessed using the HADS questionnaire, including 47 women (69.1%), 18 men (26.5%), and 3 participants with unspecified sex (4.4%). Results: The mean HADS-A score was 7.79 ± 3.28 points, and the mean HADS-D score was 4.81 ± 3.90 points. An increased level of anxiety (> 7 points) was found in 51.5% of respondents, while depressive manifestations of varying severity were observed in 25.0%. According to the results of the comparison of sex groups, anxiety scores were significantly higher in women than in men (p = 0.022), while no statistically significant difference was found for depression (p = 0.207). A positive correlation between anxiety and depression levels was found (Spearman's r = 0.496; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Our findings indicate that symptoms of anxiety and depression are common among university students, confirming the relevance of assessing psycho-emotional health in the academic environment in Ukraine during wartime. A substantial proportion of students exhibited elevated levels of anxiety and/or depression, highlighting the need for early identification and preventive interventions. The findings support the implementation of regular mental health monitoring programs within higher education institutions, particularly in contexts characterized by heightened academic, social, and environmental stressors.