Background: Medical students have been considered as a vulnerable group at higher risk of mental health issues during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Aims: We set out to detect symptoms of depression and anxiety in medical students in St. Petersburg (Russia) during the first wave of COVID-19 outbreak and explore the associations between psychosocial factors related to the pandemic and students’ psychological well-being.
Method: An anonymous online survey of medical students was conducted in May–June 2020. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used for screening anxiety and depression symptoms. The final sample consisted of 144 students (78.5% females).
Results: About 69.4% of respondents reported that COVID-19 pandemic and social restrictions were a new source of stress in their lives. More than one-third (38.9%) of respondents reported a need for psychological (emotional) support due to a change in their daily life during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the vast majority (83.9%) of these respondents indicated an increased need for support in this specific period. Symptoms of anxiety were reported by 55.8% of females (HADS score: 9.05±4.69) and 48.4% of males (8.09±5.0), and symptoms of depression were found in 38.9% of females (6.40±3.57) and 41.9% of males (6.16±3.21).
Conclusions: These findings indicate that it is necessary to develop additional measures for the prevention and early diagnosis of mental disorders along with right levels of support for wellbeing and mental health of medical students in this ongoing pandemic.