Prevalence of Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Associated Risk Factors Among Medical Students in Sudan: A Cross-Sectional Study at Omdurman Islamic University

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/ijms.2024.2095

Keywords:

Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Medical Students, Prevalence, Risk Factors, Cross-Sectional Studies, Academic Performance, Mental Health, Socioeconomic Factors, Psychological Stress, Quality of Life, Sudan, Gender Differences, Chronic Disease Care, Exercise, Smoking, Stress, Psychological, Anxiety Disorders, Health Surveys, Educational Measurement, Drug Resistance, microbial; antimicrobial stewardship; health knowledge, attitudes, practices; COVID 19

Abstract

Background: Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a mental illness that significantly affects various domains of daily functioning. Limited research has been conducted on GAD among medical students in Sudan, particularly during the socio-political and economic crises. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of GAD, identify risk factors, and evaluate its impact on academic performance and daily activities among Sudanese medical students.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate medical students at Omdurman Islamic University. Data were collected using a self-administered online questionnaire via Google Forms, consisting of two parts: socio-demographic information and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire (GAD-7), a validated tool for screening and measuring the severity of GAD.

Results: A total of 374 medical students participated, with 64.7% being female. The GAD-7 scores were high (above 9), suggesting GAD among 33.7% of participants, with severity levels of 41.2% for mild anxiety, 21.4% for moderate anxiety, and 12.3% for severe anxiety. Comparison of means showed significant associations between GAD and female students (p<0.001) and students with chronic diseases (p=0.034). GAD significantly impacted daily activities (p<0.001). Multiple logistic regression analysis found that students in the final year had significantly higher GAD-7 scores (Adjusted Odds Ratio=4.25, 95% Confidence Interval=1.27-14.22).

Conclusions: The higher scores on the GAD-7 measure among Sudanese medical students are concerning. This emphasizes the urgent need to raise awareness, normalize mental health discussions, and provide accessible counseling services tailored to the students' needs.

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The image is a horizontal bar graph with four bars, each representing a category of anxiety severity according to the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scale. The categories, listed from the top bar down, are 'Severe anxiety' (scores 15-21), 'Moderate anxiety' (scores 10-14), 'Mild anxiety' (scores 5-9), and 'No anxiety' (scores 0-4). Each bar's length corresponds to the number of individuals in that category, with frequencies noted on the graph. The 'Mild anxiety' category has the longest bar, indicating the highest frequency, followed by 'No anxiety', 'Moderate anxiety', and 'Severe anxiety', respectively. The percentages shown above each bar denote the proportion of individuals within each category, with 'Mild anxiety' having the highest percentage of 41.20% and 'Severe anxiety' the lowest at 12.30%. The graph is a visual representation of the prevalence of anxiety at different levels within the surveyed group.

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Published

2024-03-25 — Updated on 2024-04-12

How to Cite

Mohamed, K. O., Ahmed, A. A., Zaki, E. A., Soumit, S. M., Ali, W. A., & Abbas, A. M. (2024). Prevalence of Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Associated Risk Factors Among Medical Students in Sudan: A Cross-Sectional Study at Omdurman Islamic University. International Journal of Medical Students, 12(1), 14–21. https://doi.org/10.5195/ijms.2024.2095

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Vol. 12 No. 1 (2024)

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Copyright (c) 2024 Khalid Osman Mohamed, Ahmed ALemam Ahmed, ElShimaa Ammar Zaki, Sozan Mudather Soumit, Wamda Ahmed Allam, Asmaa Mohamed Mohamed

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