Examining the Influence of Seasonal Changes on Mood: An Analytical Cross-Sectional Study of Local and Foreign Medical Students at Grodno State Medical University
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Abstract
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is known to cause negative effects on a person's life. This is more prevalent in the higher latitudes. Interestingly foreigners migrating to higher latitudes from lower latitudes had higher prevalence rate of SAD comparative to the indigenous population at that latitude.
Purpose of Study
There is a scarcity of research conducted on SAD among medical students. So, we aimed to examine the effect of seasonal mood variations among foreign (international) medical students relocating to regions with higher latitude and compare it to the changes of local medical students of that country.
Methods
This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Grodno State Medical University involving both local and foreign medical students. A pre-formed Google form with PIDS-SA was used for data collection. This data were then analyzed using Epi Info 7.6.2.0 Software.
Results
There were mood changes with seasons in both student populations (Foreign 70.2%, Local 64.2%). When considering the criteria to diagnose SAD, 11.3% were affected with SAD in Winter. Foreign students had 4 times more likelihood of been affected with Winter SAD relative to the local medical students. (OR=4.12, p 0.04). There were no cases of summer SAD in this sample.
Conclusion
Increased vulnerability of foreign students to SAD upon relocating to higher latitudes presents an additional challenge to a medical student’s life. Raising awareness, teaching coping mechanisms and ensuring treatment access will foster a supportive environment for both local and foreign students’ wellbeing.
Key words
Seasonal Affective Disorder, Medical Students, Undergraduate Students, Eastern Europe, Local and International Students, Latitude
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
© Journal of Asian Medical Students’ Association (JAMSA). Released under a Creative Commons license.
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