Depressive symptoms and their associations with positive psychosocial factors among medical students

Abstract

The role of positive psychosocial factors in depression among medical students has been insufficiently studied. This study investigated the prevalence of depression and its association with positive psychosocial factors among Korean medical students. A total of 408 medical students completed a self-report questionnaire on sociodemographic characteristics, self-esteem, ego-resiliency, social support, and depression. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), with scores of 16 or higher indicating the presence of depression. Fifty-five (13.5%) participants had depression. Medical students with depression showed significantly lower self-esteem, ego-resiliency, and social support than those without depression. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that when sociodemographic factors were controlled for, self-esteem, ego-resiliency, and social support were strongly associated with lower BDI scores. Female sex and preclinical years were associated with higher BDI scores. While the findings suggest that positive psychosocial factors could play a crucial protective role against depression in medical students, the cross-sectional design limits causal inference. Longitudinal studies are required to confirm these associations.