P-28 Sociodemographic Descriptive Analysis and Navigating the Nexus: Mental Health Among College of Medical Science Students at the University of Guyana
Author(s):
O Vanlewin , A Hutson , A Abraham , C Abrams , B Ally- Charles , E Tyrell , S Hutson , D Mckenzie, T Braithwaite , D Van-Veen , L Harris , D Dass , J Hatton , N Paul
Year of Presentation:
2024
Objective: This study aimed to explore the associations between sociodemographic variables, student worries, and mental health outcomes in the College of Medical Sciences.
Methods: This cross-sectional study employed conveni- ence sampling, ensuring participants’ legal eligibility and consent. Google Forms were used to distribute the question- naire which included the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well- Being Scale and GHQ-12 and covered demographic data (age, residence, and sex).
Results: The modified GHQ-12 scores exhibited a non-normal distribition based on the Shapiro-Wilk's test (W=0.986, df: 289, p=0.006). A Kruskal-Wallis H test indicated a statistically difference in mean scores among three psychological distress groups : H (2) = Chi-Squared test revealed a significant association between mental-health status (GHQ-12 groups) and worry due to studies (X²=44.435, df=2, p<0.001). Students worrying about University Studies were four times more likely to have severe psyschological-distress (OR: 4.1053, 95% CI: 2.2191 to 7.5948, z statisti: 4.500, P<0.0001).
Warwick-Edinburgh mental-health and well-being scores were sampledistributed (W=0.993, df:289, df=0.175), and an independent samples T-test showed a significant difference in the mean scores for those reporting ininterference with daily-living activities due to worry, with a large effect-size (d=0.838) and a 95% confidence interval for the difference of the means ranging from 3.3 to 5.87.
There was a significant association between mental health status and interference with Daily Living Activities and Universitites Studies (X²=9.760, df=1, p<0.002).
Conclusion: The findings underscore the connections between mental-health, academic challenges, and seeking support, aligning with existing research and contributing to a deeper understanding of influences on metal well-being on academia.