Comparison of Depression and Anxiety Disorders among Native and Non-native Students of Islamic Azad University of Medical Sciences in Tehran

Introduction: Depression is one of the most common psychological problems which is not limited to a specific place or time, and involves people of different social classes and age groups. Anxiety may even cause physical illnesses such as blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, as well as psychiatric disorders such as depression. The aim of this study was to compare the level of depression and anxiety in native and non-native medical students. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, ۲۱,۸۰۰ students of the faculties of Islamic Azad University of medical sciences of Tehran were assessed for eligibility. A number of ۲۸۰ students were selected. The Beck depression and anxiety questionnaires were used to prepare the items of the study. Results:  Among the sample of ۲۸۰ students, ۱۸۴ students were female, of which ۱۶۰ were native and ۲۴ were non-native. Also ۹۸ students were male, of which ۳۸ were native and ۶۰ were non-native students.Also ۱۱۶ students (۴۱%) were in normal condition in terms of depression degree, ۱۰۳ students (۳۶%) had mild depression, ۴۸ students (۱۷%) had moderate depression, and ۱۳ students (۴%) suffered from major (severe) depression.Also, the results of the anxiety test indicated that ۱۲۱ students (۴۳%) were in the healthy condition, ۱۰۰ students (۳۵%) had mild anxiety, ۴۳ students (۱۵%) had moderate anxiety, and ۱۶ students (۵%) suffered from severe anxiety. Conclusion: Findings of the present study show that there is no significant difference between depression and anxiety scores between native and non-native students.