Prevalence of Depression among Resident Doctors in King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT

Background: Depression is a common mental disorder in adults, and the World Health Organization (WHO) hasranked it as the fourth leading cause of disability worldwide. Doctors are not immune to the disorder; in fact,they have a higher risk than the general population, which affects the physician’s life and compromises the qualityof the health services. In Saudi Arabia, resident doctors’ mental health is under-recognized, and more studiesneed to be conducted to fill this gap. Objectives: This study is aimed at determining the prevalence of depressionamong resident doctors working at a tertiary care hospital in Riyadh, and analyzing the associated factors.Methodology: The study utilized a cross-sectional design. The resident doctors in KFMC hospital in Riyadhparticipated in this study by filling questionnaires, including a depression-screening instrument (CES-D), asociodemographic datasheet, and questions about other associated factors. Results: One hundred and nineteenresidents responded with an overall response rate of 70%. Based on categorical levels of the CES-D, 41% (49)did not have depression, 20% (24) had mild to moderate depression, and 39% (46) had probable majordepression. There were significant differences in depression by gender with higher rates among women (55.1%)than men (27.1%). Further, participants with a history of depression were more likely to have depression (62%).