Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research, ISSN - 0973 - 709X

Users Online : 275983

AbstractMaterial and MethodsResultsDiscussionConclusionReferences
Article in PDF How to Cite Citation Manager Readers' Comments (0) Audio Visual Article Statistics Link to PUBMED Print this Article Send to a Friend
Advertisers Access Statistics Resources

Dr Mohan Z Mani

"Thank you very much for having published my article in record time.I would like to compliment you and your entire staff for your promptness, courtesy, and willingness to be customer friendly, which is quite unusual.I was given your reference by a colleague in pathology,and was able to directly phone your editorial office for clarifications.I would particularly like to thank the publication managers and the Assistant Editor who were following up my article. I would also like to thank you for adjusting the money I paid initially into payment for my modified article,and refunding the balance.
I wish all success to your journal and look forward to sending you any suitable similar article in future"



Dr Mohan Z Mani,
Professor & Head,
Department of Dermatolgy,
Believers Church Medical College,
Thiruvalla, Kerala
On Sep 2018




Prof. Somashekhar Nimbalkar

"Over the last few years, we have published our research regularly in Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research. Having published in more than 20 high impact journals over the last five years including several high impact ones and reviewing articles for even more journals across my fields of interest, we value our published work in JCDR for their high standards in publishing scientific articles. The ease of submission, the rapid reviews in under a month, the high quality of their reviewers and keen attention to the final process of proofs and publication, ensure that there are no mistakes in the final article. We have been asked clarifications on several occasions and have been happy to provide them and it exemplifies the commitment to quality of the team at JCDR."



Prof. Somashekhar Nimbalkar
Head, Department of Pediatrics, Pramukhswami Medical College, Karamsad
Chairman, Research Group, Charutar Arogya Mandal, Karamsad
National Joint Coordinator - Advanced IAP NNF NRP Program
Ex-Member, Governing Body, National Neonatology Forum, New Delhi
Ex-President - National Neonatology Forum Gujarat State Chapter
Department of Pediatrics, Pramukhswami Medical College, Karamsad, Anand, Gujarat.
On Sep 2018




Dr. Kalyani R

"Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research is at present a well-known Indian originated scientific journal which started with a humble beginning. I have been associated with this journal since many years. I appreciate the Editor, Dr. Hemant Jain, for his constant effort in bringing up this journal to the present status right from the scratch. The journal is multidisciplinary. It encourages in publishing the scientific articles from postgraduates and also the beginners who start their career. At the same time the journal also caters for the high quality articles from specialty and super-specialty researchers. Hence it provides a platform for the scientist and researchers to publish. The other aspect of it is, the readers get the information regarding the most recent developments in science which can be used for teaching, research, treating patients and to some extent take preventive measures against certain diseases. The journal is contributing immensely to the society at national and international level."



Dr Kalyani R
Professor and Head
Department of Pathology
Sri Devaraj Urs Medical College
Sri Devaraj Urs Academy of Higher Education and Research , Kolar, Karnataka
On Sep 2018




Dr. Saumya Navit

"As a peer-reviewed journal, the Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research provides an opportunity to researchers, scientists and budding professionals to explore the developments in the field of medicine and dentistry and their varied specialities, thus extending our view on biological diversities of living species in relation to medicine.
‘Knowledge is treasure of a wise man.’ The free access of this journal provides an immense scope of learning for the both the old and the young in field of medicine and dentistry as well. The multidisciplinary nature of the journal makes it a better platform to absorb all that is being researched and developed. The publication process is systematic and professional. Online submission, publication and peer reviewing makes it a user-friendly journal.
As an experienced dentist and an academician, I proudly recommend this journal to the dental fraternity as a good quality open access platform for rapid communication of their cutting-edge research progress and discovery.
I wish JCDR a great success and I hope that journal will soar higher with the passing time."



Dr Saumya Navit
Professor and Head
Department of Pediatric Dentistry
Saraswati Dental College
Lucknow
On Sep 2018




Dr. Arunava Biswas

"My sincere attachment with JCDR as an author as well as reviewer is a learning experience . Their systematic approach in publication of article in various categories is really praiseworthy.
Their prompt and timely response to review's query and the manner in which they have set the reviewing process helps in extracting the best possible scientific writings for publication.
It's a honour and pride to be a part of the JCDR team. My very best wishes to JCDR and hope it will sparkle up above the sky as a high indexed journal in near future."



Dr. Arunava Biswas
MD, DM (Clinical Pharmacology)
Assistant Professor
Department of Pharmacology
Calcutta National Medical College & Hospital , Kolkata




Dr. C.S. Ramesh Babu
" Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research (JCDR) is a multi-specialty medical and dental journal publishing high quality research articles in almost all branches of medicine. The quality of printing of figures and tables is excellent and comparable to any International journal. An added advantage is nominal publication charges and monthly issue of the journal and more chances of an article being accepted for publication. Moreover being a multi-specialty journal an article concerning a particular specialty has a wider reach of readers of other related specialties also. As an author and reviewer for several years I find this Journal most suitable and highly recommend this Journal."
Best regards,
C.S. Ramesh Babu,
Associate Professor of Anatomy,
Muzaffarnagar Medical College,
Muzaffarnagar.
On Aug 2018




Dr. Arundhathi. S
"Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research (JCDR) is a reputed peer reviewed journal and is constantly involved in publishing high quality research articles related to medicine. Its been a great pleasure to be associated with this esteemed journal as a reviewer and as an author for a couple of years. The editorial board consists of many dedicated and reputed experts as its members and they are doing an appreciable work in guiding budding researchers. JCDR is doing a commendable job in scientific research by promoting excellent quality research & review articles and case reports & series. The reviewers provide appropriate suggestions that improve the quality of articles. I strongly recommend my fraternity to encourage JCDR by contributing their valuable research work in this widely accepted, user friendly journal. I hope my collaboration with JCDR will continue for a long time".



Dr. Arundhathi. S
MBBS, MD (Pathology),
Sanjay Gandhi institute of trauma and orthopedics,
Bengaluru.
On Aug 2018




Dr. Mamta Gupta,
"It gives me great pleasure to be associated with JCDR, since last 2-3 years. Since then I have authored, co-authored and reviewed about 25 articles in JCDR. I thank JCDR for giving me an opportunity to improve my own skills as an author and a reviewer.
It 's a multispecialty journal, publishing high quality articles. It gives a platform to the authors to publish their research work which can be available for everyone across the globe to read. The best thing about JCDR is that the full articles of all medical specialties are available as pdf/html for reading free of cost or without institutional subscription, which is not there for other journals. For those who have problem in writing manuscript or do statistical work, JCDR comes for their rescue.
The journal has a monthly publication and the articles are published quite fast. In time compared to other journals. The on-line first publication is also a great advantage and facility to review one's own articles before going to print. The response to any query and permission if required, is quite fast; this is quite commendable. I have a very good experience about seeking quick permission for quoting a photograph (Fig.) from a JCDR article for my chapter authored in an E book. I never thought it would be so easy. No hassles.
Reviewing articles is no less a pain staking process and requires in depth perception, knowledge about the topic for review. It requires time and concentration, yet I enjoy doing it. The JCDR website especially for the reviewers is quite user friendly. My suggestions for improving the journal is, more strict review process, so that only high quality articles are published. I find a a good number of articles in Obst. Gynae, hence, a new journal for this specialty titled JCDR-OG can be started. May be a bimonthly or quarterly publication to begin with. Only selected articles should find a place in it.
An yearly reward for the best article authored can also incentivize the authors. Though the process of finding the best article will be not be very easy. I do not know how reviewing process can be improved. If an article is being reviewed by two reviewers, then opinion of one can be communicated to the other or the final opinion of the editor can be communicated to the reviewer if requested for. This will help one’s reviewing skills.
My best wishes to Dr. Hemant Jain and all the editorial staff of JCDR for their untiring efforts to bring out this journal. I strongly recommend medical fraternity to publish their valuable research work in this esteemed journal, JCDR".



Dr. Mamta Gupta
Consultant
(Ex HOD Obs &Gynae, Hindu Rao Hospital and associated NDMC Medical College, Delhi)
Aug 2018




Dr. Rajendra Kumar Ghritlaharey

"I wish to thank Dr. Hemant Jain, Editor-in-Chief Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research (JCDR), for asking me to write up few words.
Writing is the representation of language in a textual medium i e; into the words and sentences on paper. Quality medical manuscript writing in particular, demands not only a high-quality research, but also requires accurate and concise communication of findings and conclusions, with adherence to particular journal guidelines. In medical field whether working in teaching, private, or in corporate institution, everyone wants to excel in his / her own field and get recognised by making manuscripts publication.


Authors are the souls of any journal, and deserve much respect. To publish a journal manuscripts are needed from authors. Authors have a great responsibility for producing facts of their work in terms of number and results truthfully and an individual honesty is expected from authors in this regards. Both ways its true "No authors-No manuscripts-No journals" and "No journals–No manuscripts–No authors". Reviewing a manuscript is also a very responsible and important task of any peer-reviewed journal and to be taken seriously. It needs knowledge on the subject, sincerity, honesty and determination. Although the process of reviewing a manuscript is a time consuming task butit is expected to give one's best remarks within the time frame of the journal.
Salient features of the JCDR: It is a biomedical, multidisciplinary (including all medical and dental specialities), e-journal, with wide scope and extensive author support. At the same time, a free text of manuscript is available in HTML and PDF format. There is fast growing authorship and readership with JCDR as this can be judged by the number of articles published in it i e; in Feb 2007 of its first issue, it contained 5 articles only, and now in its recent volume published in April 2011, it contained 67 manuscripts. This e-journal is fulfilling the commitments and objectives sincerely, (as stated by Editor-in-chief in his preface to first edition) i e; to encourage physicians through the internet, especially from the developing countries who witness a spectrum of disease and acquire a wealth of knowledge to publish their experiences to benefit the medical community in patients care. I also feel that many of us have work of substance, newer ideas, adequate clinical materials but poor in medical writing and hesitation to submit the work and need help. JCDR provides authors help in this regards.
Timely publication of journal: Publication of manuscripts and bringing out the issue in time is one of the positive aspects of JCDR and is possible with strong support team in terms of peer reviewers, proof reading, language check, computer operators, etc. This is one of the great reasons for authors to submit their work with JCDR. Another best part of JCDR is "Online first Publications" facilities available for the authors. This facility not only provides the prompt publications of the manuscripts but at the same time also early availability of the manuscripts for the readers.
Indexation and online availability: Indexation transforms the journal in some sense from its local ownership to the worldwide professional community and to the public.JCDR is indexed with Embase & EMbiology, Google Scholar, Index Copernicus, Chemical Abstracts Service, Journal seek Database, Indian Science Abstracts, to name few of them. Manuscriptspublished in JCDR are available on major search engines ie; google, yahoo, msn.
In the era of fast growing newer technologies, and in computer and internet friendly environment the manuscripts preparation, submission, review, revision, etc and all can be done and checked with a click from all corer of the world, at any time. Of course there is always a scope for improvement in every field and none is perfect. To progress, one needs to identify the areas of one's weakness and to strengthen them.
It is well said that "happy beginning is half done" and it fits perfectly with JCDR. It has grown considerably and I feel it has already grown up from its infancy to adolescence, achieving the status of standard online e-journal form Indian continent since its inception in Feb 2007. This had been made possible due to the efforts and the hard work put in it. The way the JCDR is improving with every new volume, with good quality original manuscripts, makes it a quality journal for readers. I must thank and congratulate Dr Hemant Jain, Editor-in-Chief JCDR and his team for their sincere efforts, dedication, and determination for making JCDR a fast growing journal.
Every one of us: authors, reviewers, editors, and publisher are responsible for enhancing the stature of the journal. I wish for a great success for JCDR."



Thanking you
With sincere regards
Dr. Rajendra Kumar Ghritlaharey, M.S., M. Ch., FAIS
Associate Professor,
Department of Paediatric Surgery, Gandhi Medical College & Associated
Kamla Nehru & Hamidia Hospitals Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh 462 001 (India)
E-mail: drrajendrak1@rediffmail.com
On May 11,2011




Dr. Shankar P.R.

"On looking back through my Gmail archives after being requested by the journal to write a short editorial about my experiences of publishing with the Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research (JCDR), I came across an e-mail from Dr. Hemant Jain, Editor, in March 2007, which introduced the new electronic journal. The main features of the journal which were outlined in the e-mail were extensive author support, cash rewards, the peer review process, and other salient features of the journal.
Over a span of over four years, we (I and my colleagues) have published around 25 articles in the journal. In this editorial, I plan to briefly discuss my experiences of publishing with JCDR and the strengths of the journal and to finally address the areas for improvement.
My experiences of publishing with JCDR: Overall, my experiences of publishing withJCDR have been positive. The best point about the journal is that it responds to queries from the author. This may seem to be simple and not too much to ask for, but unfortunately, many journals in the subcontinent and from many developing countries do not respond or they respond with a long delay to the queries from the authors 1. The reasons could be many, including lack of optimal secretarial and other support. Another problem with many journals is the slowness of the review process. Editorial processing and peer review can take anywhere between a year to two years with some journals. Also, some journals do not keep the contributors informed about the progress of the review process. Due to the long review process, the articles can lose their relevance and topicality. A major benefit with JCDR is the timeliness and promptness of its response. In Dr Jain's e-mail which was sent to me in 2007, before the introduction of the Pre-publishing system, he had stated that he had received my submission and that he would get back to me within seven days and he did!
Most of the manuscripts are published within 3 to 4 months of their submission if they are found to be suitable after the review process. JCDR is published bimonthly and the accepted articles were usually published in the next issue. Recently, due to the increased volume of the submissions, the review process has become slower and it ?? Section can take from 4 to 6 months for the articles to be reviewed. The journal has an extensive author support system and it has recently introduced a paid expedited review process. The journal also mentions the average time for processing the manuscript under different submission systems - regular submission and expedited review.
Strengths of the journal: The journal has an online first facility in which the accepted manuscripts may be published on the website before being included in a regular issue of the journal. This cuts down the time between their acceptance and the publication. The journal is indexed in many databases, though not in PubMed. The editorial board should now take steps to index the journal in PubMed. The journal has a system of notifying readers through e-mail when a new issue is released. Also, the articles are available in both the HTML and the PDF formats. I especially like the new and colorful page format of the journal. Also, the access statistics of the articles are available. The prepublication and the manuscript tracking system are also helpful for the authors.
Areas for improvement: In certain cases, I felt that the peer review process of the manuscripts was not up to international standards and that it should be strengthened. Also, the number of manuscripts in an issue is high and it may be difficult for readers to go through all of them. The journal can consider tightening of the peer review process and increasing the quality standards for the acceptance of the manuscripts. I faced occasional problems with the online manuscript submission (Pre-publishing) system, which have to be addressed.
Overall, the publishing process with JCDR has been smooth, quick and relatively hassle free and I can recommend other authors to consider the journal as an outlet for their work."



Dr. P. Ravi Shankar
KIST Medical College, P.O. Box 14142, Kathmandu, Nepal.
E-mail: ravi.dr.shankar@gmail.com
On April 2011
Anuradha

Dear team JCDR, I would like to thank you for the very professional and polite service provided by everyone at JCDR. While i have been in the field of writing and editing for sometime, this has been my first attempt in publishing a scientific paper.Thank you for hand-holding me through the process.


Dr. Anuradha
E-mail: anuradha2nittur@gmail.com
On Jan 2020

Important Notice

Original article / research
Year : 2010 | Month : April | Volume : 4 | Issue : 2 | Page : 2265 - 2270 Full Version

Incidence of Major Depression among First Year Pharmacy Undergraduates


Published: April 1, 2010 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2010/.673
Khan T M *, Humera T **, Khan A ***

* (Lecturer), School of Pharmacy, Island College of technology Balik pulau. 11000, Pulau Penang (Malaysia) **Department of Psychology, Government College for Women, Wah Cantt, Pakistan ***School of Pharmacy, University of Peshawar, (Pakistan)

Correspondence Address :
Tahir M Khan,Lecturer, School of Pharmacy, Island College of technology Balik pulau. 11000, Pulau Penang (Malaysia ). office: +60-0174676052,e-mail: tahir.pks@gmail.com

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of major depression and the factors responsible for its incidence among first year pharmacy students at a private pharmacy college in Penang. Face to face interviews were conducted among the pharmacy first year students using a structured study tool. The entire fresh first year pharmacy students were approached for their potential participation in the study. The evaluation for the depression was done using the Diagnostic Statistics Manual Four Text Revision (DSM IV-TR) criteria for depression. All the data was analysed using SPSS® version 13®. Binary Logistic regression was applied in order to further predict the factors that had a major contribution in the resulting depression. The findings demonstrated that the incidence of depression was higher among female students in comparison to males, which was found to be significant (t=5.538, p=<0.001). Among all demographic factors, gender was found to significantly correlate with the incidence of the symptoms of depression (r=0.77, p=<0.001). The respondents were further evaluated in order to identify the stressors responsible for the depression. A majority 96.2% highlighted Assignments, Quizzes and Projects and work overload as the potential stressors for depression. However, the lecturer’s attitude and the work over load were the two main stressors identified, that are significantly (F=12.736, df=25, p=<0.042) found to be associated with the prevalence of depression. on the whole it was revealed that female students had a higher prevalence of depression (Odd ratio=1.250, CI 0.688- 2.271). However, on racial grounds, Malay students were found more likely to be at a higher risk (Odd ratio=1.618, CI 0.378- 6.923) than that of their Chinese classmates (Odd ratio=0.863, CI 0.570- 1.306. Overall findings demonstrated that Malay female students were at a higher risk of depression. The lecturer’s attitude and work overload were the stressors identified for the possible association with the depressive state of the students.

Keywords

Major depression, pharmacy, fresher’s,

Introduction
In the past few years, the number of institutions offering medicine and pharmacy education in Malaysia have drastically increased (1). The scarcity of these professionals in Malaysia is the main reason for the increase in the number of tertiary medical and pharmacy institutions. However, recent studies have proved that a majority of the students choose pharmacy as the profession because of the chance of self employment and good earning opportunities (2).

No matter whatever the motivations are for the students to choose pharmacy as their profession, one have to face academic challenges. Moreover, the educational environment and issues regarding their practice are proven to be stressful for the students (1). Such a stressful environment may lead to various emotional disorders (3) Among all, depression is the most prevalent emotional disorder which is identified by the symptoms of sadness, lack of interest in routine activities and fatigue (3),(4).

According to NIHM, 2003 major depression is the most prevalent type of depression, disturbing the daily life routines of an individual. According to the Diagnostic Statistics Manual IV Text Revision (DSM IV TR) criteria for major depression, when five or more symptoms (as listed in Table 2) of depression are found in an individual for more than two weeks, then that individual is said to suffer from major depression (13). The World Health Organisation has declared depression as the leading cause of disability because of its physical, psychological and social impacts (5). Previous studies in Malaysia provided evidences of the high prevalence of depression among medical students (3),(6). The factors which have been identified as causative for depression among medical students, were problems of examination, relationship and understanding with partners, parents, siblings, lecturers, course mates and loved ones [3,6]. In addition to social issues, the educational environment can be a possible factor that can result in depression. Stecker, 2004 has provided the evidence of depression and emotional disorders among fresh medical undergraduates and new house officers (1),(7),(8),(10). Such situations not only affect their academic performance, but also affect their functionality as future medical professionals. In the United States, a study showed that 26% of medical students had reported high scores on the depression scale as compared to pharmacy students (8). Emotional problems if left unresolved can lead to personality changes (9) and may even put the individual at a risk of suicide attempts (10).

So far, in the national and international scenarios, there is a scarcity of any effort that reports the level of emotional and depressive disorders among the pharmacy students, especially among the fresh first year pharmacy undergraduates. There are some studies that provide an evidence of depression among college students, especially among freshers (11) due to the transitional nature of college life (12). It is a type of adjustment response for being away from home for the first time (12). Moreover, the new social environment and the desire to score a high grade are the other factors that may cause depression among the fresh students (12). The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of major depression and the factors responsible for its incidence among first year pharmacy students at a private pharmacy college in Penang.

Material and Methods

Methodology
Face to face interviews were conducted among the first year pharmacy students using a structured study tool. The sample was drawn from a local private college that is offering a pharmacy degree program in collaboration with one the public university. The entire batch of fresh first year pharmacy students were approached for their potential participation in the study. The new semester had started on 5th July 2009 and the students’ evaluation for the depression was done on the 27th of July 2009 by using the Diagnostic Statistics Manual Four Text Revision (DSM IV-TR) criteria for depression.

Contents Of The Study Tool
The study tool comprised of four sections; section one covering the information about the demographics of the respondents. Three items were a part of section one i.e age, gender and race. Section two comprised of two questions which retrieved information about the first choice of profession as a carrier and the motivation to choose pharmacy as a profession. Section three was the core section of the study tool that evaluated the prevalence of the symptoms of depression among the pharmacy students in the past two weeks. The student’s evaluation for the prevalence of depression was done by using the DSM IV-TR criteria for major depression. The evaluation for major depression was done on the basis of eleven symptoms which were adapted from DSM IV-TR. These eleven items are illustrated in detail in (Table/Fig 2). The students were questioned to compare their mood before and after joining the college. Scoring was done for the prevalence of every symptom; those having no symptoms of depression were score zero. However, those with the prevalence of 2-4 symptoms were marked for the possibility of minor depression. Those with the prevalence of 5-6 symptoms were classified as having major depression. However, those with the prevalence of 7 -11 symptoms were ranked in the criteria for severe depression. In the final section four, six options were presented to the respondents to know what the potential stressors were for the depressive mood.

Statistical Analysis
All the data was analysed using SPSS® version 13. For the comparison among two groups, Student t-test was applied. However, in order to find out the correlation of the demographical variables with the prevalence of depression, Pearson’s correlation was applied. Binary logistic regression was applied in order to further predict the factors that have a major contribution in the resulting depression.

Results

A total of N=28 students registered for the Bachelor of Pharmacy degree, of which a majority (71.4%) of the students were Malays and rest were Chinese. A majority (60.7%) of the students who registered for this course were females. About 64.3% stated that it was their first preference to choose pharmacy as a profession. However, nearly 25.0% had a desire to choose medicine as a profession. Whilst questioning the motivation among the students to choose pharmacy as a profession, 53.6% stated that they wanted to serve the community, which was the reason they chose pharmacy as a profession. Details about the respondent’s demographics and the factors which influenced their selection of pharmacy as profession are illustrated in (Table/Fig 1).

Evaluation of the students for the prevalence of depression revealed that a majority suffers from two or more symptoms of depression. However, the incidence of depression was higher among female students in comparison to males, which was found to be significant (t=5.538, p=<0.001) and among all demographical factors, gender was found to significantly correlate with the incidence of the symptoms of depression (r=0.77, p=<0.001). Detailed responses about the mood of the respondents are illustrated in (Table/Fig 2).

Furthermore, on the basis of the number of symptoms of depression, the depressive mood state of the respondents was further divided into minor, major and severe depression [Table/Fig3]. The respondents were further evaluated in order to identify the stressors responsible for their depression. A majority highlighted Assignments, Quizzes and Projects and work overload as the potential stressors for their depression (Table/Fig 4). Further, to identify the stressors which were responsible for the depression among students, logistic regression modelling was done. The model was finalized after the stepwise separate analysis of the each predictor value and other independent variables. The lecturer’s attitude and work over load were the two main stressors which were identified, that are significantly (F=12.736, df=25, p=<0.042) found to be associated with the prevalence of the symptoms of depression among the students. However, stepwise analyses revealed that the lecturer’s attitude alone had a high impact on the mood of the students (Table/Fig 5).

Discussion

This was the first study ever conducted among pharmacy undergraduates in order to assess the prevalence of major depression among them. Overall, the findings demonstrated that Malay females were at a high risk of depression in comparison to others.

About 64.3% of the students stated that pharmacy was their first choice as profession. However, the rest (35.7%) stated other carrier choices to choose as a profession, of whom a majority were willing to get medical education, but were unable to get admission to the medical college (3). Among these, a majority 5(%) had a prevalence of more than five symptoms which were mentioned in the DSM IV TR criteria for major depression.

Overall, the findings revealed that female students had a higher prevalence of depression (Odd ratio=1.250, CI 0.688- 2.271). However, on racial grounds, Malay students were found to be at a higher risk (Odd ratio=1.618, CI 0.378- 6.923) than that of their Chinese counterparts (Odd ratio=0.863, CI 0.570- 1.306. Surprisingly, only one male respondent was without the prevalence of any symptoms of depression. Of the eleven male respondents, six had minor depressive disorders with the prevalence of two to four symptoms of depression. Four students complied with the DSM IV criteria for major depression, with the prevalence of five to six symptoms of depression. However, of seventeen female students, five complied with the DSM IV criteria for major depression. The rest 12(%) suffered with severe depressive disorders, with the prevalence of more than seven symptoms of depression (1). In other words, these findings revealed a high incidence of depression among female students than male students. These findings confirmed the evidences provided, that reported a high prevalence of depression among female students who were undergoing their tertiary medical education (1),(14),(15),(16). Previous Malaysian studies conducted among medical students revealed that first year medical students had a higher incidence of depression. Stiff competition to enter medical schools had been highlighted by Sherina at el, (2003) and Dahlin et al, (2005), which has also stated that the first year students also needed to face the process of adjusting themselves to the medical education setting (3),(10). These factors might have contributed to the emotional disturbances among the first years students. As for the senior students, they face high expectations to become competent doctors and to acquire good academic results to enable them to obtain seats for postgraduate training (17). Unlike the finding of Zaid et al (2007), this study provided a positive correlation of gender (r=0.77**, p=<0.001) with depression. Scoring was done on the basis of the number of symptoms which were present among the students.

Exploration of the stressors which were associated with the depressive state of the respondents revealed that academic factors particularly increased academic workload. Fear of failure is one of the sources of stress in a medical school (3). In the present study, a majority [26 (96.2%)] stated that assignments, quizzes and projects were the main cause of their depressive state (Table/Fig 4), followed by work over load 22 (81.5%)]. 15 (55.6%) stated lecturer’s attitude and 11 (40.7%) stated financial problems as the possible stressors leading to depression.
Zaid et al, (2007) provided the evidence of the possible association of a romantic relationship for depression among the students who were involved in tertiary medical education.

However, the findings of the current study did not report some facts. Facts obtained through logistic regression revealed that the lecturer’s attitude and work over load was the two common factors contributing to the depressive state of the respondents. Step wise modelling revealed that the lecturer’s attitude had a major contribution in resulting depression among the students (Table/Fig 5) (p=<0.001).

Conclusion

Findings demonstrated that Malay female students were at a higher risk of depression. It was found that lecturer’s attitude and work overload may the two main stressors associated with the depressive state of the students.

Recommendation
These findings are alarming for the college administration and these helped them to take some immediate steps to resolve the issues associated with the depressive state among first year pharmacy students. Seminars on stress and personal management techniques can be organised in order to improve the mood management skills of the students. Negligence in this regards not only affects the academic performance of the students but also puts the students at a risk of suicide and further complications which are associated with depression.

References

1.
Peterlini M, Tibério IF, Saadeh A, Pereira JC, Martins MA. Anxiety and depression in the first year of medical residency training. Med Educ 2002; 36:66-72.
2.
Mohamed A. Hassali, Tahir. M. Khan, Asrul A. Shafie (2009) Motivational Factors to Choose Pharmacy as a Career; Findings of a Preliminary Survey Conducted Among Pharmacy Undergraduate Students. Technics Technologies Education Management 4(1) 21-25
3.
Sherina MS, Lekhraj R, Nadarajan K. Prevalence of emotional disorders among medical students in a Malaysian university. Asia Pac Fam Med 2003; 2:213-217.
4.
WHO department of non communicable disease surveillance (August 18th 2006) accessed 20th march 2007, retrieved from www. who.int.com
5.
Murray, C.J.L.; Lopez, A.D. Alternative projections of mortality and disability by cause 1990-2020: Global Burden of Disease Study. Lancet; 1997;349: 1498-1504.
6.
Zaid, Z. A., Chan, S. C. & Ho, J. J. Emotional disorders among medical students in a Malaysian private medical school. Singapore Med J 2007;48(10):895- 899.
7.
Muhammad S.Khan, Sajid Mehmood , Areef badshah , syed U.li, Yasir jamal. (2006) Prevalence of depression, anxiety and their associated factors among medical students Karachi Pakistan JPMA 2006;56(12).
8.
Stecker T. Well being in an academic environment. Med Educ 2004;38:465-78.
9.
Parker G, Roy K. Adolescent depression: a review. Aust N Z J Psychiatry 2001; 35:572-80.
10.
Dahlin M, Joneborg N, Runeson Bo. Stress and depression among medical students: a cross- sectional study. Med Educ 2005; 39:594-604.
11.
D’Zurilla TJ, Sheedy CF. Relation between social problem solving ability and subsequent level of psychological stress in college students. J of personality and Soc. Psycho 1991; 61(5): 841-46.
12.
Towbes LC, Cohen L II. Chronic stress in the lives of college students: scale development and prospective prediction of distress. 1996; 25: 199- 217.
13.
National institute of mental Health (NIHM). (2003) Real Men. Real Depression. NIH Publication No. 03-5299 Printed March 2003 [online] accessed on 12th, march 2008 Available from World Wide Web http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/depression-a-treatable-illness.pdf.
14.
Dahlin M, Joneborg N, Runeson Bo. Stress and depression among medical students: a cross-sectional study. Med Educ 2005; 39:594-604.
15.
Sender R, Salamero M, Valles A, Valdes M. Psychological variables for identifying susceptibility to mental disorders in medical students at the University of Barcelona. Med Educ Online [serial online] 2004; 9:9. Available at: www.med-ed-online.org. Accessed January 2007. 14. Firth J. Levels and sources of stress in medical students. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1986; 292:1177-80.
16.
Ahmadi J, Pridmore S, Fallahzadeh M. Neurotic scores in a sample of medical students. Ger J Psychiatry 2004; 7:51-5.
17.
Supe AN. A study of stress in medical students at Seth GS Medical College. J Postgrad Med 1998; 44:1-6.

JCDR is now Monthly and more widely Indexed .
  • Emerging Sources Citation Index (Web of Science, thomsonreuters)
  • Index Copernicus ICV 2017: 134.54
  • Academic Search Complete Database
  • Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)
  • Embase
  • EBSCOhost
  • Google Scholar
  • HINARI Access to Research in Health Programme
  • Indian Science Abstracts (ISA)
  • Journal seek Database
  • Google
  • Popline (reproductive health literature)
  • www.omnimedicalsearch.com