title: Pilot Study to Assess the Quality of Life, Sleepiness and Mood Disorders among First Year Undergraduate Students of Medical, Engineering and Arts.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  College students, who are in a phase of transition from adolescence to adulthood, face numerous challenges. Due to stress overload, students easily fall prey to mood disturbances like stress, anxiety and depression compromising their quality of life.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Present study was undertaken to see the effect of choice of professional course on quality of life and mood of the first year students of medical, engineering and arts students.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was conducted amongst 150 students, 50 participants from each stream. Enrolled subjects were administered questionnaires pertaining to their quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF), mood disorders (DASS-42) and sleepiness (ESS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Medical students showed significantly higher levels of stress (p-value=0.0001), depression (p-value=0.002) and anxiety (p-value=0.002), 30% of medicos labelled their quality of life as very good compared to 48% and 50% of engineering and arts students. A 38% of medical student's reported daytime sleepiness compared to 12% engineering and 6% arts students.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Present study shows that medical students are maximally vulnerable to mood disorders and have a poor quality life. As the student community forms the backbone of any nation, we as, educators should try to strengthen each individual by promoting not only physical and mental development but also aiming for overall holistic development.
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India .
authors.forename: Ruchi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Junior Resident, Department of Pedeatrics, VMMC and Safdarjung Hospital , New Delhi, India .
authors.forename: Rhea
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shriyan
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Physiology, VMMC and Safdarjung Hospital , New Delhi, India .
authors.forename: Renuka
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: Professor and Head, Department of Physiology, Ananta Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Center , Rajsamand, Rajasthan, India .
authors.forename: Shobha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Das
keywords: Anxiety; Depression; Sleep deprivation; Stress