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This page is an AI-assisted Turkish summary of the study presented at the 26th World Congress of Psychiatry. The study belongs to the presenting authors; please refer to the original source when citing it.

EV0702

Burden and determinants of depression, anxiety, and stress among general patients at a tertiary care center: A DASS-21-based study

BURDEN AND DETERMINANTS OF DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND STRESS AMONG GENERAL PATIENTS IN A TERTIARY CARE CENTRE: A DASS-21 BASED STUDY

Moderate to severe anxiety was identified in 27% of patients attending the general outpatient clinics of a tertiary care center, with anxiety and depression observed more frequently among women, married individuals, and those who used substances.

The aim was to assess the burden and determinants of depression, anxiety, and stress among general patients attending a tertiary care center. An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted in family medicine outpatient clinics; patients aged 18 years and older who provided informed consent were included, while those with a previous diagnosis of a severe psychiatric disorder, those too ill to respond, and those unwilling to participate were excluded. The Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21) was used as the assessment instrument. A total of 71 participants were included, 79% of whom were women. Moderate to severe anxiety was identified in 27% of participants, approximately 6% had depressive symptoms according to the DASS-21, and no stress was recorded in any participant. In the distribution of anxiety severity, normal/mild levels were observed in 11 men (73.3%) and 41 women (73.2%), moderate/severe levels in 4 men (26.7%) and 14 women (25%), and extremely severe levels in only 1 woman (1.8%); for depression, normal/mild levels were identified in 14 men (93.3%) and 53 women (94.6%), and moderate/severe levels in 1 man (6.7%) and 3 women (5.4%). Anxiety and depression were observed more frequently among women and married individuals, but the associations between sex and anxiety (p = 1) and between sex and depression (p = 1) were not statistically significant. Anxiety rates were also higher among those who used substances, with anxiety symptoms identified in 40% of those who chewed tobacco and 30% of those who consumed alcohol. In conclusion, the authors highlight the influence of sociodemographic factors on mental health and the potential association between substance use and psychological distress, emphasizing the need for targeted mental health screening, early intervention, and behavioral health services.

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