Association of Grit with Depression Among Medical Students

Abstract

Background Depression is major risk factor for adverse mental health outcomes among medical undergraduate students. Grit, on the other hand, is linked to positive psychological outcomes and higher levels of meaning and satisfaction in life could be a protective factor against depression in medical graduates. Objective: The main aim of this study was to correlate grit levels with depression among medical students. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Settings: Aziz Fatimah Medical and Dental College, Faisalabad Pakistan. Duration: December 2018 to May 2019. Methodology: Participants being undergraduate medical students were voluntary after taking informed consent. Students were asked to fill their demographic data along with validated questionnaires. Depression was determined through the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and grit was analyzed using Short Grit Scale (GRIT-S) consisting of 8 questions. To determine the association between grit and depression Linear Regression analysis was used. Results: Regression analysis showed significant negative association between grit and depression, beta coefficient of -3.5 is showing that 1 unit increase in grit score decreases the depression by 3.5 times p value of this test (0.001*). Conclusion: Enhancement in grit levels could reduce the level of depression in medical students and thus grit could be a very important intervention in preventing depression.