title: Depression in medical students: cluster symptoms and management.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Rates of depression among medical students have been shown to be high and related to year of study and other factors. We report on cluster of symptoms related to depression and their association with other difficulties in specific domains.
  
  
  METHODS
  481 (Response rate=79.8%) medical students completed a questionnaire about areas of difficulty in the medical school (studies, leisure, colleagues, professors, and patients), and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). We studied correlation among areas of difficulty and clusters of BDI along with year in the course.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two areas which contributed most difficulty were studies and leisure. The significant associations for studies were seen between somatic cluster of depressive symptoms and the level of the course. Difficulties associated with leisure activities and with colleagues were correlated with the affective cluster of symptoms of depression. Activities related to clinical matters especially working with patients in the internship year were associated with somatic clusters. The different associations confirmed that rather than relying on scores emphasis should be placed on clusters of symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sample from a single medical school.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the clusters are associated with specific difficulties, it is important that educators and health professionals are aware of streesors the medical students face. The correlations if confirmed in future studies with qualitative factors could guide the development of more specific therapeutic or curriculum interventions.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry and Medical Psychology Disciplines, ABC Region Medical School, Santo André, SP, Brazil. spbaldassin@fmabc.br
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baldassin
authors.forename: Nilson
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Tânia Correa
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: de Toledo Ferraz Alves
authors.forename: João Mauricio
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Castaldelli-Maia
authors.forename: Dinesh
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bhugra
authors.forename: Maria Cezira Fantini
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Nogueira-Martins
authors.forename: Arthur Guerra
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: de Andrade
authors.forename: Luiz Antonio
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Nogueira-Martins
mesh_terms: D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000458:organization & administration; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012307:Risk Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult