Mental health problems among medical students in Brazil: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective: To provide a comprehensive picture of mental health problems (MHPs) in Brazilian medical students by documenting their prevalence and association with co-factors. Methods: We systematically searched the MEDLINE/PubMed, SciELO, LILACS, and PsycINFO databases for cross-sectional studies on the prevalence of MHPs among medical students in Brazil published before September 29, 2016. We pooled prevalences using a random-effects meta-analysis, and summarized factors associated with MHP. Results: We included 59 studies in the analysis. For meta-analyses, we identified the summary prevalence of different MHPs, including depression (25 studies, prevalence 30.6%), common mental disorders (13 studies, prevalence 31.5%), burnout (three studies, prevalence 13.1%), problematic alcohol use (three studies, prevalence 32.9%), stress (six studies, prevalence 49.9%), low sleep quality (four studies, prevalence 51.5%), excessive daytime sleepiness (four studies, prevalence 46.1%), and anxiety (six studies, prevalence 32.9%). Signs of lack of motivation, emotional support, and academic overload correlated with MHPs. Conclusion: Several MHPs are highly prevalent among future physicians in Brazil. Evidence-based interventions and psychosocial support are needed to promote mental health among Brazilian medical students.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Pacheco,João P., Giacomin,Henrique T., Tam,Wilson W., Ribeiro,Tássia B., Arab,Claudia, Bezerra,Italla M., Pinasco,Gustavo C.
Format:	Digital revista
Language:	English
Published:	Associação Brasileira de Psiquiatria 2017
Online Access:	http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-44462017000400369
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