Prevalence of depression among Indian medical students in COVID-19 pandemic – A meta-analysis

ABSTRACT

Background: There are numerous studies indicating that COVID-19 pandemic has brought a great deal of pressure for medical fraternities, as medical teachers and students were busy saving lives. The mental health of these frontiers and medical education both suffered. Aims and Objectives: This study aims to determine the assessed pooled prevalence of depression among medical students of India by undertaking meta-analysis of published original research studies during pandemic. Materials and Methods: Researcher followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. Authors used terminologies such as depression, mental health, medical students, and India to search PubMed and Google Scholar databases for original articles published between January 2020 and March 2022 based on mental health of Indian medical students. Researcher had chosen only the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale 21 items based study to prevent false heterogenicity. Results: Out of 1471 screening, a total of six original research articles were included after screening for eligibility criteria involving 3248 medical students from different medical colleges of India. The median number of students was 541.33 (range, 181–2021). Meta-analysis of pooled prevalence assessment of depression among medical students in India by random effects model was 38% (confidence interval 27–49%). Conclusion: Within study limitations, the high prevalence of depression was noted among medical students of India.