The principal investigators Xavier Sánchez and Ruth Jimbo-Sotomayor, from CISeAL, together with a team affiliated with PUCE, conducted a study on the comorbidity of depression and anxiety in undergraduate and graduate medical students in Ecuador, focusing on estimating its prevalence and associated factors. The research, carried out between January and March 2025 with 700 participants, used validated psychiatric screening tools (PHQ-9 for depression, GAD-7 for anxiety, and AUDIT for alcohol use), defining comorbidity as clinically significant scores on both instruments. Results showed that 47.71% of students reported depression, 44.57% anxiety, and 36.71% depression-anxiety comorbidity, with higher prevalence among undergraduate students.

Multivariable analyses identified female gender, the presence of chronic health conditions, and undergraduate status as risk factors, while tobacco use and night shifts showed positive but non-significant associations. This study highlights a high burden of psychological distress, especially in the early stages of medical training, emphasizing the need for early, gender-sensitive, and stage-specific interventions with direct implications for medical education and student well-being policies. The research strengthens the institutional positioning of CISeAL and PUCE in mental health, medical education, and public health, reaffirming the commitment to comprehensive and humanistic training.

Do you want to know all the details about how depression and anxiety affect future doctors in Ecuador? Read the full article here: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12888-026-07789-5#Abs1