Ansiedade e depressão em estudantes de medicina : freqüência, marcadores biológicos e efeito de uma oficina de manejo de estresse

Abstract

This study consisted of a cross-sectional design that used a sample population composed by fourth semester students of the Medical School in the Federal University of Ceara. It investigated stress, anxiety and depression over a semester as well as the effectiveness of an "intervention" to download stress levels in these students. At the beginning of the semester, 1st period of the test, there were applied two instruments (scale Sheehan Anxiety and Beck Inventory for depression) with 53 participants to assess psychological parameters. It was also collected blood for measurement of TSH, free T4, cortisol e immunoglobulins. In this initial population, 45% of the students had evidence of depression symptoms and 47% of them showed anxiety symptoms. In the second stage (preceding the midterm exams), now with only 35 participants, students repeated the same procedures of the first period. Considering the 18 students who left the study, 72% had anxiety while in the group that remained, the rate was 34%, what means a statistically significant difference. The midterm exams have not changed the psychological and biological parameters. After the second period, during the test, it was made a division of the randomized population, with the formation of two groups: the experimental group and the control group. Students in the experimental group underwent an intervention ("Workshop on Stress Management and Control), before the final exams. This workshop consisted of six meetings with about 2hs long, where they discussed issues related to stress, stressors in academic life and engaged in living experiences involving some relaxation techniques. In the third phase of the study before the final exams at the end of the semester, both groups underwent the same procedures of the two previous periods. After collecting all the data, it was made a comparison of depression scores and anxiety levels hormones and immunoglobulins between before and after the intervention. In the experimental group, we found a statistically significant difference in cortisol levels (decrease) between the two periods. In relation to the depression scores and anxiety scores, levels of TSH, free T4 and immunoglobulins, a comparison between the two periods did not show to be statistically significant in both groups. The results also showed: a high incidence of depression and anxiety in the population studied; a greater degree of anxiety in individuals who discontinued the study; the absence of evidence related to the impact of psycho-biological parameters investigated. Finally, it demonstrated that the intervention lowered the level of cortisol, but it has not caused significant changes in other parameters.