Anxiety, Depression, and Sleep Quality Among Medical Students in the Countryside of Paraguay: A Cross-Sectional Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30545/scientiamericana.2025.ene-abr.5Abstract
Introduction: Medical students are particularly vulnerable to mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances due to high academic demands, sustained stress, and limited psycho-emotional resources. This situation is especially critical in decentralized university settings. Objective: To determine the prevalence and relationship between anxiety, depression, and sleep quality in medical students from the Santa Rosa del Aguaray branch, Paraguay. Methodology: A descriptive, observational, cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 156 students. The GAD-7 was used to assess anxiety, the BDI-II for depression, and the PSQI to evaluate sleep quality. Descriptive statistical analyses and chi-square tests were used to examine associations between variables. Results: A total of 67.3% of students showed anxiety, 60.8% reported depressive symptoms, and the mean sleep quality score was 7.6 ± 2.99. Statistically significant associations were found between levels of anxiety and depression (χ² = 45.45; p < 0.001), as well as between anxiety and poor sleep quality (χ² = 46.93; p < 0.0001). Severe anxiety was associated with a higher prevalence of extreme depression (43.8%) and severe sleep difficulty (64.7%). Female students, those with irregular academic status, and those living alone reported higher levels of emotional distress. Conclusions: The findings reveal a high burden of psychological distress among medical students in Santa Rosa del Aguaray. The urgent need to implement institutional strategies for prevention, early detection, and mental health support is highlighted. These should include self-care programs, sleep hygiene education, and the strengthening of social and academic support networks.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Gabriela Sanabria-Báez, Jorge Villalba-Arias, Diego Amarilla, Bianca Encina, María José Benítez, Eder Burgos, Fátima Villalba, Leticia Arguello, Diana Zuge, Julio Torales
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
