One-year changes in the prevalence and positive psychological correlates of depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic among medical science students in northeast of Iran

Seyedmohammad Mirhosseini; Samuel Grimwood; Ali Dadgari; Mohammad Hasan Basirinezhad; Rasoul Montazeri; Hossein Ebrahimi

doi:10.1002/hsr2.490

One-year changes in the prevalence and positive psychological correlates of depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic among medical science students in northeast of Iran

Health Sci Rep. 2022 Jan 12;5(1):e490. doi: 10.1002/hsr2.490. eCollection 2022 Mar.

Authors

Seyedmohammad Mirhosseini^{1

2}, Samuel Grimwood³, Ali Dadgari⁴, Mohammad Hasan Basirinezhad⁵, Rasoul Montazeri⁶, Hossein Ebrahimi⁷

Affiliations

¹ Nursing and Midwifery Care Research Center Mashhad University of Medical Sciences Mashhad Iran.
² Department of Psychiatric Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery Mashhad University of Medical Sciences Mashhad Iran.
³ Human Science Research Centre University of Derby Derby UK.
⁴ Department of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery Shahroud University of Medical Sciences Shahroud Iran.
⁵ Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences Yazd Iran.
⁶ Student Research Committee, School of Nursing and Midwifery Shahroud University of Medical Sciences Shahroud Iran.
⁷ Department of Nursing, Center for Health Related Social and Behavioral Sciences Research Shahroud University of Medical Sciences Shahroud Iran.

Abstract

Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic has imposed a significant psychological burden on many across society especially students studying medical sciences. This study intended to investigate the one-year changes in the prevalence and correlates of depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic among medical science students.

Methods: A cross-sectional study in Shahroud, Iran administering a convenience sampling method (January to February 2021). Online self-reported questionnaires included Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Paloutzian-Ellison Spiritual Well-Being Questionnaire, Diener's Satisfaction with Life Scale and the University Student Depression Inventory. Data analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (Independent t-test and Multiple Regression Analysis).

Results: A total of 306 medical science students were investigated in this study. The mean scores 1 year after the outbreak of COVID-19 were for depression (81.25 ± 26.04), spiritual well-being (80.98 ± 18.06), self-esteem (26.89 ± 2.20), and life satisfaction (19.68 ± 6.81). The results indicated that depression mean score was significantly higher in post outbreak assessment (71.92 ± 22.94 vs 81.25 ± 26.04) (P < .001). Fifty percentage of changes in depression can be predicted by studied variables. A high score of depression was directly associated with a higher level of self-esteem. Moreover, increased interest in the field, scores of spiritual well-being, and life satisfaction were inversely and significantly associated with depression.

Conclusions: Iran's education system has been significantly affected, with the addition to the COVID-19 pandemic imposing a psychological burden such as depression, exacerbating this within medical science students compared to a year ago. Spiritual well-being and life satisfaction as positive psychology constructs were recognized as protective factors against depression during the pandemic. Spiritual and social support should be integrated in psychological interventions within university settings for medical science students.

Keywords: COVID‐19; depression; positive psychology; self‐esteem; spirituality.