Investigating association of residential status with depression, anxiety and stress levels among undergraduate medical students: a comparative cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: The study was done to compare the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress between hosteller and non-hosteller medical students and to determine the association between type of residence and scores on the depression anxiety stress scale-21 (DASS-21). Methods: The study included 219 MBBS students selected through convenience sampling. A structured questionnaire consisting of demographic details and the DASS-21 scale was used to collect data. The data was entered and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27.0. The Mann-Whitney U test was applied to compare DASS-21 scores between hostellers and non-hostellers, while the Chi-square test assessed the association between residential status and categorical severity levels. Results: Out of 219 participants, 111 were non-hostellers, and 108 were hostellers. Descriptive analysis indicated a higher prevalence of extremely severe depression, anxiety, and stress among non-hostellers. However, no statistically significant difference was observed between the two groups in depression (p=0.272), anxiety (p=0.290), or stress (p=0.706). Similarly, no significant association was found between residential status and categorical severity levels of depression (p=0.781), anxiety (p=0.812), or stress (p=0.665). Conclusions: Residential status was not significantly associated with depression, anxiety, or stress among medical students. However, higher prevalence among non-hostellers suggests that additional factors may contribute to psychological distress among medical students in Pakistan. Institutional-based mental health support programs and policy interventions are urgently needed to address this issue.