title: Mental health of dubai medical college students.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Considering the association between medical school dropout and psychiatric distress, we aimed to assess the prevalence of psychiatric distress among medical students at Dubai Medical College.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and three medical students were chosen randomly and were assessed by the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age for the students was 18.85 year (Minimum: 17, Maximum: 22), and 90.3% were between 18 and 20 years old. The mean of GHQ score was 16.46. Of the participants, 47 (45.6%) were found to be in normal range (GHQ mean < 16). A total of 33 (32.1%) of the students reported evidence of psychiatric distress. Only 23 (22.3%) were found to have severe psychiatric distress.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Early detection of psychiatric distress is important to prevent psychiatric morbidity and its unwanted effects on medical students and young doctors. Our results reveals that although a low percentage of Dubai Medical College students reported a significant level of psychiatric distress, however, it should not be underestimated, and actions should be taken to encourage Dubai Medical College students to get help from for psychiatric services for their emotional problems. The risk factors as well as the protective factors must be identified in nation-wide studies to promote mental health of medical students.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Jamshid
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ahmadi
authors.affiliation: Dubai Medical College for Girls, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Galal Ahmed
authors.affiliation: Dubai Medical College for Girls, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: Fatehia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ali Bayoumi
authors.affiliation: Dubai Medical College for Girls, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: Abeer
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abdul Moneenum
authors.affiliation: Dubai Medical College for Girls, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: Haya
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Alshawa
keywords: General Health Questionnaire; Medical Students; Psychiatric distress