[Assessment of quality of life of medical students relative to the number and intensity of depressive symptoms].
OBJECTIVE
To assess the number and intensity of depressive symptoms in medical students of the Lódź Medical University as well as students of other faculties and to find the correlation between the intensity of depression and factors determining the quality of life.


METHODS
Beck's Depression Inventory was applied to evaluate the depression intensity and the F. Baker and J. Intagliate Quality of Life Scale was used to find out about the life-quality. 177 2nd year and 86 4th year medical students and 109 students from other faculties in Lódź, took part in the study.


RESULTS
28.8% of the 2nd year students and 14% of the 4th year medical students were diagnosed with depressive symptoms. A negative correlation between the depressive symptom intensity and a feeling of satisfaction with life was shown. Amongst the students of architecture and pedagogy, the depressive symptoms were above average for the general population. No statistically significant differences were noted amongst the groups of medical students and others in relation to the life perspectives, possibility of professional and personal development.


CONCLUSIONS
To find the other causes of depression in the academic society, further research is necessary. This has a vital role for the protection of mental health of this specific professional group of people.
Adamiak
Grazyna
G
Zakładu Psychologii Lekarskiej Uniwersytetu Medycznego w Lodzi.
Swiatnicka
Ewa
E
Wołodźko-Makarska
Lucyna
L
Switalska
Małgorzata Julita
MJ
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires