Depression, Anxiety and Stress among the Medical Graduates in Bangladesh: Findings from an Online-Based Cross-Sectional Survey

Background Mental health problems among health professionals are a substantial public health issue. They can be influenced by a high workload, a stressful environment, unsatisfactory payment, a lack of support from colleagues, and inadequate time for academic activities. The COVID-19 pandemic has even posed a higher threat to medical professionals. This study aimed to find out how common depression, anxiety, and stress are among medical graduates in Bangladesh and what causes them. Methods An online cross-sectional survey was conducted among (n=209) medical graduates in Bangladesh from January to May 2022. Data were collected by using a structured e-questionnaire shared through Facebook, WhatsApp, and Gmail. Depression, anxiety, and stress were measured using the DASS-21 scale. Logistic regression analysis was performed to find associated risk factors. Results The Prevalence estimates of depression, anxiety, and stress were 79.4%, 69.4%, and 77%, respectively. Factors significantly associated with depression included female sex (p≤0.05), (AOR =5.96, [95% CI 1.89- 18.83]); living away from family (p≤0.05), (AOR=3.04, [95% CI 1.14-8.09]); less working hours [p≤0.001, AOR =0.16, (95% CI 0.06-0.47) & [p≤0.05, AOR =0.29, (95% CI 0.08-0.91)]; more monthly income[p≤0.05, AOR =0.45, (95% CI 0.17-1.21)] & [p≤0.05, AOR =0.16, (95% CI 0.04-0.69]; payment satisfaction (p≤0.001), (AOR=12.53, [95% CI 4.35-36.13]) and smoking habit (p≤0.05), (AOR =30, [95% CI 1.83-491.48]) revealed a significant association with depression. On the other hand, age (p≤0.05), (AOR =0.31, [95% CI 0.13-0.73]) was linked with anxiety. Furthermore, there was a significant association between female sex (p≤0.05) (AOR =4.65, [95% CI 1.69-12.77]) and payment dissatisfaction (p≤0.001), (AOR =4.05, [95% CI 1.72-9.53]) with stress. Conclusions The results show shockingly high rates of mental health problems among Bangladeshi medical graduates during the epidemic, so stressing the immediate need for focused treatments. To help this underprivileged group's mental health, authorities have to take care of financial, social, and occupational pressures.